When we encounter another individual truly as a person, not as an object for use, we become fully human. Martin Buber. We human beings are said to be social animals, that we are naturally drawn to live in groups, be it a small family or a complex city.
In these groups, we interact with each other, and we do so mostly because, like useful objects, we need something from them. Other interactions, however, are more selfless and intimate. They are not based on other people's usefulness. In them, we don't treat others like objects, but as subjects. In philosophy, this kind of relationship is referred to as intersubjectivity.
In this video, we will talk about what intersubjectivity is, its three levels, and the two ways we interact with others according to the Austrian-Jewish philosopher, Martin Buber. What is intersubjectivity? The term intersubjectivity was coined by the Austrian-German philosopher Edmund Husserl. It is a compound of the prefix inter-, which means between or among, and the philosophical term subject, which refers to a conscious being. Intersubjectivity therefore, is the interchange of thoughts and feelings, both conscious and unconscious, between two subjects, or persons, as facilitated by empathy.
It refers to the human characteristic to engage in an intimate and personal relationship with others, who are different from, but also similar to one's self. It is the shared understanding among persons, made possible by the mutual awareness and recognition of the self and the other as persons. However, despite our intersubjective or authentic relationships with others, we still tend to become conscious with our self-image, and with how others see us. Because of this, we tend to act differently before others, depending on who we are relating with.
For example, We may act nicely when we are with our boss, while rudely when we are with our clients. This pretentiousness is known as, seeming. Seeming is a way of approaching the other, based on the image one wants to impress on him or her. By what one wants the other to be. It involves taking on roles or hiding aspects of oneself, usually in order to appear more desirable to the other.
Despite this tendency to pretend however, we still strive for a deeper and more genuine interaction with others. This more authentic interaction is called, dialogue. A dialogue is an interaction between persons that happens through speech or the use of words, expressions, and body language.
It occurs when two individuals view each other as an other. When they acknowledge each other's presence, uniqueness and differences, and treat each other as equals. It is the opening up, the giving and receiving. of persons to each other, in their encounter. The three levels of intersubjectivity.
There are three levels of intersubjectivity, namely, empathy, availability, and ethics of care. Empathy is the ability to share the emotions, or, to put oneself in the shoes, of the other. It is rooted in a person's awareness, that the other is also a person who has feelings.
Availability on the other hand, is the willingness of a person to be present and be at the disposal of the other. Lastly, ethics of care, which is also a moral theory, emphasizes the moral dimension of human interactions and relationships. It believes that the self has the moral obligation to respond to the needs of the other, especially the vulnerable, which it cannot ignore. To dive deeper into the topic of intersubjectivity, let us now turn to the Austrian-Jewish philosopher who had a profound impact on how modern thinkers saw human relationships.
Martin Buber. In his book entitled I and Thou, Buber identified two ways in which the self, or the I, relates with the other. The first one is the I-it relationship. The I-it relationship, according to Buber, refers to the world of sensation where there are objects.
In this relationship, human persons do not experience an authentic encounter with each other. Rather, what happens is that the self, or the I, treats the other as an object to be experienced and used. Deep down, the I-it relationship is all about oneself, because others are seen merely as objects that serve one's interest.
It is not a dialogue, but a monologue. A relationship with one's own self. Examples of I-it relationships are employers who treat workers like machines, and businesses that use women in their advertisement just to increase sales. This kind of relationship results into what is called, alienation. Alienation happens when a relationship is inauthentic, deceptive and exploitative.
It arises when the self ceases to view the other as a distinct or authentic person, and considers him or her as a mere object or means to satisfy its interests. It is a disorientating sense of exclusion, that can lead to the other's loss of dignity and humanity, resulting to his or her dehumanization. The second way the self relates with the other is the I-Thou relationship.
In contrast to the I-It relationship, The I-Thou refers to the world of encounters and relationships with other persons. It is a relationship where there is a genuine sharing of one another, without objectification. In this relationship, the I treats the other as distinctly other, a thou, as another person who is different from itself. As someone who has different characteristics, beliefs, values and interests.
At its center is a genuine form of interaction. A dialogue. To recap, Intersubjectivity is a kind of relationship where two subjects, or persons, interchange thoughts and feelings, both conscious and unconscious, as facilitated by empathy.
In any relationship, however, human beings become conscious with their self-image and how others see them. As such, they tend to act differently before different people, an attitude known as, seeming. Despite this, human beings still long for a deeper and more genuine interaction with others.
a longing fulfilled only by dialogue, or the opening up, the giving and receiving, of persons to each other in their encounter. Intersubjectivity has three levels, namely, empathy, or the ability to put oneself in the shoes of the other, availability, or the willingness to be present and be at the disposal of the other, and ethics of care, or the moral obligation to respond to the needs of the other. The Austrian-Jewish philosopher Martin Buber presented two influential ways on how we relate with others, the I-it and the I-thou relationship.
In the I-it relationship, human persons do not experience an authentic encounter with each other. This is because the self treats the other as an object to be experienced and used. As such, it is a monologue and results in alienation, or an inauthentic, deceptive and exploitative relationship.
In the I-thou relationship, on the other hand, there is a genuine sharing of one another. In this relationship, the I treats the other as distinctly other. As another person who has different characteristics, beliefs and values. It is a dialogue, a genuine form of interaction.
How about you? Have you ever had a genuine and meaningful relationship with another person? How was it?
What did you do and how did you feel? Let us know in the comments below. If you like this video, please give it a thumbs up, follow us on social media, and subscribe to our channel for more related content.
Thank you, and see you in the next one.