The memory of ethos

an exploratory study on the human-dog relationship in the contemporary world

Abstract

This research sought to understand the place of dogs vis-à-vis human beings in the contempo- rary world. Dogs are observed to have assumed a noteworthy position as they inserted them- selves as vital element into the life of many individuals. They also currently integrate the soci-ocultural horizon of many cities. From a phenomenological-hermeneutic framework, we aimed to investigate the meanings this contemporary phenomenon takes on using a hybrid approach: on the one hand, from a psychological perspective, we openly surveyed people in whose lives dogs play a significant part; on the other hand, from an anthropological perspective, through a participant observation method, we visited a number of places where the human-dog relation- ship is seen to unfold. Based on Gilberto Safra’s discussion on the fragmentation of ethos in the contemporary world, we offer the hypothesis that the dog occupies a fundamentally ethical place, helping to recover the memory of now impoverished dimensions of the human condition.