Q. I understand that the term Other is a philosophical term. I am editing an article where the author uses it capitalized throughout. It looks awkward. Here’s an example: “The trope of the Other is typically associated with the arousal of negative feelings of fear and disgust.” My question is this: could it be initially capitalized or in quotes, and then subsequently written lowercase? What does CMS recommend?
A. In philosophical works, it’s better not to meddle unless the capping is obviously the result of inattention or a global replacement in a phrase like “On the Other hand.” It’s always fine to query individual cases. If you choose to edit some of them, track the changes (either on paper or electronically), so the author can review them and make adjustments.