HEADLINER
Humanities and Non-Fiction
TRANSCENDING HUMAN BONDS – INSIGHT INTO OUR NON-HUMAN BONDS
171
Anthropologist Charles Stépanoff invites the reader to delve into the heart of his theory on the relationship between human beings and their environment. The work is based on his study of reindeer herders in Siberia, and though somewhat erudite, it is accessible to a wide audience.
Combining evolutionary anthropology, archaeology, the history of domestication, comparative ethnology and psychology, Charles Stépanoff proposes a new way of interpreting human sociality.
"The essence of man is often sought in the relationship between humans. But humans can also be characterized by their ability to forge links with ecosystems by transforming them and by attaching themselves to and adopting other species. For example, in many hunter-gatherer societies they treat their dogs like little children. The Inuits of North America treat bear cubs in the same manner," explains the author.
"Transcending Human Bonds does not hesitate to challenge some of the historical caesura that were once considered consensual," Le Monde des livres points out. The journal L'Histoire adds, "it introduces reversals of perspective, most notably a healthy deconstruction of the concept of domestication, often interpreted as enslavement when it comes to interspecies partnerships".
While this book explores different types of bonds, it also examines detachments resulting from a purely materialistic relationship with the world. "Today, and especially during the Technical Revolution of the eighteenth century, we have been rethinking our relationship with animals by purging it of everything that could be emotional, in order to increase productivity," the author claims. He, however, hopes there will be a return to a healthier bond with nature: "Humans have not lost their ability to be amazed by animals. This ability to learn, a legacy that we owe to our prehistoric ancestors, has forged in us an ecological intelligence that is simply waiting to be reactivated. Different human communities have different types of relationships with plants and animals. “I try to convey these experiments and discoveries to readers in an accessible way," says the author.
Katja Petrovic
November 2025
Anthropologist Charles Stépanoff invites the reader to delve into the heart of his theory on the relationship between human beings and their environment. The work is based on his study of reindeer herders in Siberia, and though somewhat erudite, it is accessible to a wide audience.
Combining evolutionary anthropology, archaeology, the history of domestication, comparative ethnology and psychology, Charles Stépanoff proposes a new way of interpreting human sociality.
"The essence of man is often sought in the relationship between humans. But humans can also be characterized by their ability to forge links with ecosystems by transforming them and by attaching themselves to and adopting other species. For example, in many hunter-gatherer societies they treat their dogs like little children. The Inuits of North America treat bear cubs in the same manner," explains the author.
"Transcending Human Bonds does not hesitate to challenge some of the historical caesura that were once considered consensual," Le Monde des livres points out. The journal L'Histoire adds, "it introduces reversals of perspective, most notably a healthy deconstruction of the concept of domestication, often interpreted as enslavement when it comes to interspecies partnerships".
While this book explores different types of bonds, it also examines detachments resulting from a purely materialistic relationship with the world. "Today, and especially during the Technical Revolution of the eighteenth century, we have been rethinking our relationship with animals by purging it of everything that could be emotional, in order to increase productivity," the author claims. He, however, hopes there will be a return to a healthier bond with nature: "Humans have not lost their ability to be amazed by animals. This ability to learn, a legacy that we owe to our prehistoric ancestors, has forged in us an ecological intelligence that is simply waiting to be reactivated. Different human communities have different types of relationships with plants and animals. “I try to convey these experiments and discoveries to readers in an accessible way," says the author.
Katja Petrovic
November 2025
November 2025