Alterity , much more than a concept, is a practice. It basically consists of putting yourself in the other’s shoes, understanding the other’s anxieties and trying to think about the other’s suffering. Alterity is also to recognize that there are different cultures and that they deserve respect in their integrity. In this sense, the recognition of otherness is the first step towards building a more just and democratic society.
Also read: Xenophobia – one of the possible consequences of the lack of otherness
Meaning of alterity
In Latin, the origin of the word alterity is in the word alteritas . The radical alter means “other”, while itas refers to “being”, that is, in its root, otherness means “to be the other” . According to the Aurélio dictionary , alterity means “quality of the other or of what is different” and, philosophically, “different character, metaphysically” | 1 | .
In short, we can say that alterity is the act of perceiving the difference and that the “I” must live with others.
Alterity is the practice of recognizing the other as a psychological singularity.
Synonym of otherness
In the Portuguese language, there is no direct correspondent of the word alterity, but a possible correspondent to apply to the term is the word empathy .
The word empathy comes from the Greek empatheia , which literally means “in passion”. Thus, walking towards passion , in the application of the word, means recognizing the other in a passionate way (in the sense of emotionally recognizing the existence of the other). Empathy is, then, exercising otherness .
Don’t stop now … There’s more after the publicity;)
Examples of otherness
It is undeniable that the world is becoming increasingly divided . The neoliberalism contemporary, which sustains financial capitalism encourages individualism increasingly cruel and insulator. This way of life leads the human being to pure and unfounded egoism.
In this world of isolated citizens, examples of otherness are to be found in welcoming acts. These welcoming acts can be in different examples, such as welcoming refugees in their own country or respecting religions other than their own. A greater example is the daily act of not judging others by their way of living.
Alterity is a necessary practice for maintaining a fair and egalitarian society.
Identity and otherness
An old problem for the history of Western thought is that of identity. The identity was stated in a principle elucidated by the classical Greek philosopher Aristotle, called the principle of identity. Aristotle proposed it in a formula that says: “something is something”, that is, anything has a defined identity .
Human beings value their identities, which are the most immediate and accurate we have in our particularities . This identity, which guarantees our individuality , can be the trigger for individualistic behavior. In this sense, at first, identity seems to be the beginning of the non-recognition of otherness. That is why psychology and philosophy can help us understand the importance of otherness in our world.
See also: Anthropology – science that can assist in the social development of otherness
Philosophy and otherness
The Lithuanian Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas suffered from the horrors of Nazism and used his own ideas, based mainly on the phenomenology of the German philosopher Edmund Husserl, to build a theory that indirectly supports the importance of otherness . The opposite of otherness is, for Lévinas, in prejudice (having this concept as prejudgment). We tend to make prejudices about other people, and when people don’t live up to our expectations, we isolate them.
In this sense, awareness is the door to enter the implementation of otherness . Recognizing the other person’s personality, identity and individuality is the way to build a more just society.
Alterity is closely linked to empathy.
Psychology and otherness
What makes me see myself as someone different from the other is based on philosophy itself, however, what makes me see myself as someone superior to others is a psychological phenomenon.
If we take the philosophical argument presented in the previous topic, we cannot consider a basis of identity to see ourselves as superior. See, if we admit that each one is a singular being, it is undeniable that, besides me, there are others who want to be as unique. It is necessary, thinking in a social context, that our society, so diverse, has a way of cohesion.
If I don’t have a way of looking at the world that sees the possibility of an existence different from mine , I am denying my own freedom to be who I am. If I understand that the world is heterogeneous, I need to understand that there are different people with different demands in this world. If I understand that these people are unique as I am, I need to understand that, just as I have the right to exercise my individuality, they also have it.
