anthropomorphe

Anthropomorphe is the French term used to describe the attribution of human form or human attributes to non-human beings, objects, or phenomena. In English-language scholarship, the comparable concept is anthropomorphism, with the related adjectives anthropomorphic and the noun anthropomorphism. The idea encompasses giving animals, deities, inanimate objects, or natural forces human-like characteristics such as emotions, intentions, or facial expressions.

Historically, anthropomorphism appears across cultures and eras. Ancient mythologies often portrayed gods and spirits in human or humanoid forms, while later art, fables, and religious imagery personified natural elements and animals to convey moral or cosmological ideas. In storytelling and visual media, anthropomorphic characters—animals acting with human motives—provide relatable perspectives, simplify complex themes, or critique human behavior.

In contemporary usage, anthropomorphism spans various domains. In literature and film, it enables symbolic storytelling and emotional engagement. In science and education, it can aid explanation by aligning unfamiliar concepts with familiar human experiences, though it is sometimes criticized for oversimplification. In technology, anthropomorphic design appears in user interfaces, chatbots, and robotics, where human-like appearances or manners of speech aim to facilitate interaction and trust, even when capabilities may be non-human.

Scholars caution that anthropomorphism can bias perception and obscure non-human agency. Critics argue that excessive human-like attribution may lead to misinterpretations of animal cognition, automate biases in AI, or encourage discouraging forms of manipulation in media and product design. Nevertheless, anthropomorphe remains a widely used heuristic for interpreting and representing the non-human world.