othersor

Othersor is a neologism used in moral philosophy and political theory to describe an ethical stance that prioritizes the welfare, rights, and interests of individuals beyond one’s immediate community or social group. The term appears as a compound of “other” and a suffix used in social theory, and while its exact etymology is informal, it is intended to signal duties that extend beyond local or parochial loyalties. In scholarly and public discourse, othersor labels approaches that emphasize universalism, systemic fairness, and obligations to distant or non-cooperative others, rather than only to in-group members.

Origins and usage: The term arose in the 2010s in interdisciplinary debates on global justice, climate ethics, and digital platforms that affect people who are not direct participants. It is employed to frame questions about how policies, technologies, and institutions should be designed to benefit or protect marginalized populations regardless of national borders.

Applications: Othersor has been used in critiques of nationalist or protectionist rhetoric and in discussions of refugee rights, humanitarian aid, and international governance. It also appears in literary and critical theory contexts to examine how narratives address “the other” without reducing them to stereotypes.

Critique and reception: Some scholars view othersor as a useful heuristic for expanding moral concern, while others argue that the term is vague and difficult to operationalize in policy terms.

See also: Othering, Global justice, Universal ethics, Moral obligation, Fairness.