Experimental Philology

Abstract

The article is a comprehensive overview of the book by Arkadiusz Żychliński, “Laboratorium antropofikcji. Dociekania filologiczne” (Warsaw 2014). Emphasised is the pioneering, especially in Polish humanities, character of reflections presented by the author, who, referring to selected research in zoology, ethology, and anthropology, considers the possibility of making philology the lens to reflect on anthropogenesis. The conceptis primarily inspired by Martin Heidegger, who was convinced of the irreducible difference between man and animal. Żychliński wants to explore this difference through fiction, introducing a broad understanding of the term, which includes narratives in literature, film, TV series and computer games. They become laboratories where experiments with different models of life, ways of being human (only human!) are carried out. The reviewer emphasises originality of the concept, resulting, inter alia, from combining humanistic studies with life sciences. She also lists a number of concerns that arise when if Żychliński’s work is read from the perspective of critical studies on animals.