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How Is It Between Us?: Relational Ethics and Care for the World
A new theory of relational ethics that tackles contemporary issues.
In How Is It Between Us? , Jarrett Zigon puts anthropology and phenomenological hermeneutics in conversation to develop a new theory of relational ethics. This relational ethics takes place in the between, the interaction not just between people, but all existents. Importantly, this theory is utilized as a framework for considering some of today’s most pressing ethical concerns—for example, living in a condition of post-truth and worlds increasingly driven by algorithms and data extraction, various and competing calls for justice, and the ethical demands of the climate crisis. Written by one of the preeminent contributors to the anthropology of ethics, this is a ground-breaking book within that literature, developing a robust and systematic ethical theory to think through contemporary ethical problems.
In How Is It Between Us? , Jarrett Zigon puts anthropology and phenomenological hermeneutics in conversation to develop a new theory of relational ethics. This relational ethics takes place in the between, the interaction not just between people, but all existents. Importantly, this theory is utilized as a framework for considering some of today’s most pressing ethical concerns—for example, living in a condition of post-truth and worlds increasingly driven by algorithms and data extraction, various and competing calls for justice, and the ethical demands of the climate crisis. Written by one of the preeminent contributors to the anthropology of ethics, this is a ground-breaking book within that literature, developing a robust and systematic ethical theory to think through contemporary ethical problems.
150 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2023
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October 13, 2025
Disorganized, frequently opaque, and seemingly incomplete. I found this text wasnt worth the effort it required.
This is unfortunate, since I believe the author's argument in the preface is quite correct. There is a need for a book that looks at relational ethics from the perspective of anthropology. But I didnt find that this book satisfied that need for me.
I see two main problems, both with the writing more than the conceptual content.
1. Seemingly very little effort has been put into organizing the content in a pedagocial structure, both at the book level and the paragraph level. It reads often as an unedited stream of consciousness, and the diverse collection of ideas presented do not progress in any remotely linear way. The text seems to expect the reader to do the labor of assembling the scattered ideas into a cohesive whole. This should rightly be the job of the author.
2. The text is written very much in the style and language of its authors subdisciplinary niche, and it makes many inadequately contextualized references. One would need years of reading within the author's narrow niche for it to be legible. This is inappropriate for a book which allegedly aims to reach beyond its disciplinary boundaries and make an impact on adjacent fields, as the preface indicates is part of the goal.
Overall, probably not worth your time unless you are a scholar in dialogue with the author. If you are such a scholar then its probably more legible, but still count on doing extra work since it's a some-assembly-required sort of text.
This is unfortunate, since I believe the author's argument in the preface is quite correct. There is a need for a book that looks at relational ethics from the perspective of anthropology. But I didnt find that this book satisfied that need for me.
I see two main problems, both with the writing more than the conceptual content.
1. Seemingly very little effort has been put into organizing the content in a pedagocial structure, both at the book level and the paragraph level. It reads often as an unedited stream of consciousness, and the diverse collection of ideas presented do not progress in any remotely linear way. The text seems to expect the reader to do the labor of assembling the scattered ideas into a cohesive whole. This should rightly be the job of the author.
2. The text is written very much in the style and language of its authors subdisciplinary niche, and it makes many inadequately contextualized references. One would need years of reading within the author's narrow niche for it to be legible. This is inappropriate for a book which allegedly aims to reach beyond its disciplinary boundaries and make an impact on adjacent fields, as the preface indicates is part of the goal.
Overall, probably not worth your time unless you are a scholar in dialogue with the author. If you are such a scholar then its probably more legible, but still count on doing extra work since it's a some-assembly-required sort of text.
Displaying 1 of 1 review