From the Perspective of the Difference between Animal and Human; the Short Stories of Bilge Karasu: “Korkusuz Kirpiye Övgü” (Praise to the Fearless Hedgehog) and “Bizim Denizimiz” (Our Sea)

Abstract

Throughout the history of philosophical thinking, human centred thoughts are based on the approaches to nature and the living other than human. However, "human" could only express itself via the difference between animal and human. Over time, human centred approaches have been replaced by new studies about animal's being the "other" with the concept of identity. "Being animal" has been a philosophical problem and it has attracted more attention in literary texts. In his studies on the question of animal, Derrida emphasises the concept of logocentrism and impression of animal's lack of word and mind in a position of "the other." Jakob von Uexküll's idea of multiple worlds in which the perceptions of time, place and world are shaped in the senses of each living creature is grounded with the thoughts of Derrida, Heidegger and Agamben. In his works, Bilge Karasu has handled the visibility junctions between human and animal and the situation of being the "other" and made them parts of his poetics. Karasu, has questioned the identity of animal, its position as the "other/different" and answered many humanly questions via this otherness. He wishes to determine the ways of maintaining his approach to nature and animal in not a human centred way by clearing of every relation of domination. In this study, based on the two short stories of Karasu, the author's approach to the criticism of logocentrism; and his demand of absolute equality among the living will be studied.