J. M. COETZEE’NİN ELIZABETH COSTELLO ROMANINDA TÜRCÜLÜĞÜN YIKIMI

Year 2022, Volume: 62 Issue: 2, 1150 - 1169, 20.12.2022

Ersoy Gümüş

https://doi.org/10.33171/dtcfjournal.2022.62.2.13

Abstract

Bir terim olarak İngiliz düşünür Richard Ryder tarafından ortaya atılan ve Peter Singer’ın Animal Liberation (1976) kitabıyla yayılan türcülük ifadesi belirli bir türün üyesi olmaktan kaynaklanan ayrımcılığı ifade etmektedir. Ancak, Singer kendi yaklaşımında insanların hayvanlardan daha yüksek manevi değere sahip olduğunu iddia eden ön yargıya karşı çıkar ve bu yüzden insanlığın hayvanlara karşı manevi yükümlülükleri olduğunu öne sürer. İnsanlar ve hayvanlar arasında ki düşünme ve konuşma gibi bilişsel farklılıklara odaklanmak yerine Singer bu iki tür arasında ki benzerlikleri öne çıkarır. Bu yüzden, faydacıl bir bakış açısına sahip olan Singer, acı veya ağrıyı hissedebildikleri için hayvanlara gereken önemin verilmesi gerektiğini savunur. Benzer şekilde Elizabeth Costello romanında J.M. Coetzee hayvanların yaşamlarını inceler ve hayvanlara ait oldukları türden dolayı dayatılan ayrımcılığa karşı gelir. Kendiside bir yazar olan romanın ana karakteri Elizabeth Costello hayvanların uğradığı her türlü kötü muamele ve istismara karşı çıkar. Bu bağlamda, Appleton College’da konferans vermeye davet edilen Costello, Singer’ın türcülük anlayışını temel alarak hayvanların besin, denek, ya da herhangi bir biçimde mal olarak kullanımına karşı çıkarak türcülüğün ilkelerini sarsmaya çalışır. Böylelikle, bu makalenin amacı konferanslarında Aristotle ve Descartes’tan modern çağa kadar hayvanlar üzerine farklı bakış açılarını ve yaklaşımları inceleyen Costello’nun türcülüğün temel kanısını nasıl yıktığını incelemektir.

Keywords

Türcülük, J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello, Peter Singer, Hayvan hakları

SUBVERSION OF SPECIESISM IN J.M. COETZEE’S ELIZABETH COSTELLO

Abstract

Speciesism, a term coined by English philosopher Richard Ryder and disseminated by Peter Singer with his book Animal Liberation (1976), expresses the discrimination which is basically caused by being a member of a certain species. However, in his approach Singer primarily defies the bias which claims that mankind has higher moral worth than animals, and as such he asserts that human beings owe moral obligations to animals. Instead of focalising such cognitive differences as faculty of reasoning or discourse between mankind and animals, Singer brings the similarities between these two species to the fore. Thus, enunciating a utilitarian view, he argues that as animals have the ability to feel pain or suffering, they should be given equal consideration. Similarly, in his book Elizabeth Costello, J.M. Coetzee explores the lives of animals and opposes to the discrimination that animals are made live through due to their species. The protagonist of the novel, Elizabeth Costello who is also an author, is against all form of maltreatment and exploitation of animals. In this context, by grounding on Singer’s notion of speciesism, Costello, who is invited to give lectures at Appleton College, subverts the principles of speciesism by voicing against the use of animals as food, test subjects, or as in the form of any goods. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore how Costello undermines the basic notion of speciesism through her lectures in which she attempts to examine different perspectives and approaches on animals from Aristotle and Descartes to modern era.

Keywords

Speciesism, J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello, Peter Singer

References

• Adams, C. J. (2010). The sexual politics of meat: A feminist-vegetarian critical theory. New York & London: Continuum.
• Aristotle. (1998). Politics. (B. Jowett, Trans.). Kitchener: Batoche Books.
• Aristotle. (2018). On the soul. (J.A. Smith, Trans.). Blacksburg: Global Grey.
• Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G., & Tiffin, H. (2007). Post-colonial studies: The key concepts. New York: Routledge.
• Bentham, J. (1879). An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation. Oxford: Clerendon Press.
• Coetzee, J. M. (1992). Doubling the point: Essays and interviews. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Coetzee, J. M. (2003). Elizabeth Costello. London: Secker & Warburg.
• Descartes, R. (1976). Animals are machines. In T. Regan, & P. Singer (Eds.), Animal rights and human obligations (pp. 13-19). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
• Descartes, R. (1996). A discourse on the method and meditations on first philosophy. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
• Diamond, C. (1978). Eating meat and eating people. Philosophy 53(206), 465-479.
• Francione, G. L. (2003). Animal rights theory and utilitarianism: A relative normative guidance. Between the species 13(3), 51-80.
• Hume, D. (1999). An enquiry concerning human understanding. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Joy, M. (2010). Why we love dogs, eat pigs, and wear cows: An introduction to carnism. San Francisco: Conari Press.
• Nussbaum, M. (2007). Frontiers of justice: Disability, nationality, species membership. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Regan, T. & Singer, P. (1976). Animal rights and human obligations. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
• Regan, T. (1983). The case for animal rights. California: University of California Press.
• Ryan, D. (2015). Animal theory: A critical introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
• Satya. (n.d.). Animals, humans, cruelty and literature: A rare interview with J. M. Coetzee. Satya: Vegetarianism, environmentalism, animal advocacy and social justice. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from http://www.satyamag.com/may04/coetzee.html
• Singer, P. (2015). Animal liberation. New York: Open Road Integrated Media.
• Speciesism. (2010). In S. Wehmeier, C. McIntosh, J. Turnbull & M. Ashby (Eds.), Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary. (7th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.