Existential Experience of the Other: Essay on "Solaris"

Understanding of Other depends on understanding of oneself and one's own culture and is often obscured and blocked by ready-made definitions, assessments and standards of description. "Solaris" by S. Lem represents an extraordinary Other that cannot be caught or conquered with final words and conclusions. Modes of perception of Solaris analyzed in this article reflects intentions, emotional attitudes of homo sapiens, and, among them, a deep-seated desire to get rid of incalculable Other as a threat to human existence. Existential experience of the Other implies better awareness of one's personal history and almost impossible "horizontal" perception of the world where one can be with Other without attempting to make him/her manageable, predictable, hopelessly "one's own".