CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V

Intersubjectivity

• inter: between, subjects: persons

  • interpersonal relations (tao sa tao)

• the fundamental relation between people

• the shared world of the I and the other

• the human person is a being capable of entering into a relation with others

• human existence has a relational character

• the human person as being always already in relation

  • implication: entails commitment and responsibility with each other (infinite)

LESSON 1

MARTIN HEIDEGGER (GERMAN)

• the human person is defined as dasein

  • da: there, sein: being

  • dasein: there being or existence

• a unique mode of being or existence of human beings

• emphasizes the idea that humans are not merely objects in the world but are actively engaged with and shaped by their environment, relationships, and experiences

• highlights the distinctive way in which humans exist, perceive the world, and navigate their lives, emphasizing their existential condition as beings-in-the-world

• book: BEING and TIME (Sein und Zeit) does NOT mean human

• dasein is like asking the question

• what it means to be human

• to be with other human beings

• how we could create a better world

BASIC TYPES OF HUMAN SITUATION

TWO MODES OF EXISTENCE

1. Authenticity/Authentic Existence (Eigentlichkeit)

• Main Idea

• living with awareness of one’s own Being and taking responsibility for one’s possibilities

• Explanation

• in this mode, the individual confronts their own finitude (especially their own Being-toward-death)

  • finitude means limitations or finite

• the person chooses their own path rather than just following social conventions or norms

• involves resoluteness (Entschlossenheit)

  • a commitment to live according to one’s ownmost potential

• being true to one’s calling BUT it is not about being true to oneself in a modern pop-cultural sense, RATHER it is about owning up to your thrownness and projecting your own possibilities in a finite way

• Example: a person who realizes that life is short and chooses a meaningful career or lifestyle not because it’s expected, but because they’ve confronted the question of what it means to be truly human

2. Inauthenticity/Inauthentic Existence (Uneigentlichkeit)

• Main Idea

• living in denial of one’s individuality and mortality, absorbed in the crowd (they)

• Explanation

• in this mode, Dasein is lost in the “they” (das Man)

  • opposite of Dasein

  • anonymous social world that tells us how to think, act, feel

• it’s a default, avoidance, non-appearance, or evasion of everyday mode of being

  • it is not evil or wrong per se, but it is just unreflective and evasive

• it means being complicit in society and/or living in fear or anxiety

• individuals who are reluctant or unwilling to take risks, challenge social conventions, and confront their anxieties and worries may remain confined in this way of existence

• the refusal to accept responsibility for one’s actions, no matter how heavy these responsibilities may be

• Example: someone who lives entirely according to social expectations or public opinion (like in social media), pursuing wealth or status without questioning why this is important in life

EXAMPLES OF AUTHENTICITY

1. Following your passion

• pursuing a career or hobby that truly resonates with your values, interests, and personal calling, even if it means taking unconventional paths or facing challenges along the way

2. Standing up for beliefs

• speaking out against injustice or standing up for what you believe in, even if it’s unpopular or goes against societal norms

3. Mindful living

• embracing mindfulness practices and being fully present in each moment, appreciating the richness of everyday experiences without being consumed by distractions or worries about the past or future

EXAMPLES OF INAUTHENTICITY

1. Living to Please Others

• making life choices solely based on societal expectations, peer pressure, or the desire for approval, rather than following one’s own inner convictions and desires

2. Conformity

• going along with the crowd or adhering rigidly to societal norms and conventions, even if it means suppressing one’s own uniqueness or authenticity

3. Materialism and Consumerism

• seeking happiness and fulfillment primarily through the acquisition of material possessions or external achievements, rather than cultivating deeper connections with oneself and others

TWO BASIC RELATIONS

• commonly associated with things and objects, but not with human beings

1. Ready-at-hand (zuhanden)

• practical tools

• objects that are ready to be used daily as tools or equipment without thinking about them as separate entities

• mobile phones, bicycles, kitchen utensils

2. Present-at-hand (vorhanden)

• demands reflection beyond their immediate use

• objects that are perceived in a more theoretical or thoughtful manner, where we view them as objects of observation or analysis

• paintings, philosophical books, natural scenery

LESSON 2

Gabriel Marcel (FRENCH)

• Philosopher of Concrete

• the body is important in the study of philosophy because it serves as the primary means through which individuals engage or participate with the world and experience existence

• he emphasized the EMBODIED nature of human beings, viewing the body NOT merely as a physical vessel but as the LOCUS of personal identity and lived experience

• for him, through the body, individuals encounter others, interact with their environment, and make sense of their existence in a concrete and immediate way

• Avoir et Être (Being and Having)

MARCEL CRITICIZED DESCARTES

• particularly Descartes’ dualistic philosophy

  • Descartes famously posited that the mind (or soul) is distinct from the body, leading to a dualism that prioritizes the rational, disembodied mind over the physical world

• Marcel argued that Descartes’ dualism led to a devaluation of the body and alienation from embodied experience

  • The Cartesian dualism contributed to a fragmented understanding of human existence, neglecting the holistic integration of body and mind.

• Marcel advocated for an existential approach that recognizes the inseparable connection between the embodied self and its lived experience, emphasizing the importance of the body in shaping human identity and engagement with the world.

FOR MARCEL, THE HUMAN PERSON IS AN EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY

• Embodiment

• refers to the fundamental aspect of human existence wherein individuals experience the world through their bodies, emotions, and senses

• encompasses the lived experience of being situated within one’s physical body and engaging with the world in a concrete, bodily manner

FOR MARCEL, FROM A PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

• To be embodied means:

1. To have a physical body

• “I have a body.”

  • primary reflection

2. To experience intimacy (closeness) with one’s body.

• “I am my body.”

  • secondary reflection

3. To have feelings

• to have an internal perception or inner awareness

• the first and basic mode of embodiment

• Subjectivity

• the unique perspective, consciousness, and interiority of each individual, shaped by personal experiences, emotions, and values

• reflects the subjective interpretation and engagement with the world, highlighting the distinctive way in which individuals perceive and make sense of their surroundings

• Subjectivity or to be a subject

• to be an individual consciousness and personal experience of reality (lived experience)

• to act upon an object (active participation)

• another term for interiority (loob)

• Body-Subject

• the body as the person, as being

• intimate relation between the body and the subject

• Thus, I am my body.

• Body-Object

• the body as an object or instrument, as having

• the body is treated as a possession

• To others, one’s subjectivity appears through our body.

• Thus, I have a body.

• Embodied subjectivity emphasizes the inseparable connection between the embodied self and its subjective experience of the world.

• Embodied subjectivity suggests that human subjectivity emerges from and is deeply connected with the bodily existence of the individual.

LESSON 3

MARTIN BUBER (JEWISH)

• INTERSUBJECTIVITY AS INTERPERSONAL RELATION

• a person-to-person relation

• bounded by subjective interests

• more intimate, personal, and profound

  • family, parents, children, friends

• goes beyond common social interest or sharing of resources

• INTERPERSONAL relations are grounded in DIALOGUE

• DIALOGUE

• the meeting (encounter) of two (more) minds

• the life of human relations

• a shared relation

3 KINDS OF DIALOGUE

1. TECHNICAL DIALOGUE

• focused on objective understanding

• content-based dialogue

2. MONOLOGUE

• focused only on one’s thoughts and speech

• seeming dialogue; self-importance based on self-talk

3. GENUINE DIALOGUE

• pays attention to the presence of the other with openness and willingness

• recognizes the alterity of the other as an Other

• may happen also in silence; sometimes speech is not necessary

• transcends speech or spoken language

• MINIMUM REQUIREMENT

• recognition of the presence of the other

• THIS PRESENCE MEANS BEING/BECOMING AWARE…

• of the person as a thou (as an Other)

• an encounter with God as Thou is not contingent but an authentic individual response to the Divine presence, with recognition, reverence, and genuine dialogue

• a profound personal and transformative experience that transcends intellectual understanding

• FOR BUBER, genuine dialogue is also possible in prayer

TWO KINDS OF HUMAN RELATIONS

1. I AND THOU RELATION

• relation with humans

• personal, emotive, and empathic

• always choose this over I and It 

• mentorship, parent-child bonding, profound conversations

2. I AND IT RELATION

• relation with objects

• impersonal, detached, scientific, and functional

• cannot be eradicated as it is also a need

• transactional relation, objectification in media/advertising, self-promotion

IN CONCLUSION

• Genuine dialogue happens in an “I and Thou” interpersonal relation.

  • I-Thou relation entails genuine openness and willingness to engage in a dialogue.

• Genuine dialogue is a form of humane dialogue since it is based on sincerity, presence, sharing, mutuality, availability, and fidelity.

LESSON 4:

GABRIEL MARCEL (CREATIVE FIDELITY)

• FIDELITY

• based on constancy, perseverance, availability, and hope

• constancy means (felt) presence

• fidelity is an inner disposition, not dissuaded by emotion

• fidelity goes beyond duty, being present in the present

• Despite the situation, you stay.

• CREATIVE FIDELITY

• means availability (disponibilite)

  • responding in complete freedom to a directed appeal

  • being receptive to an appeal

  • conveys a kind of spiritual availability

  • one must relate to the other with openness and humility

• Availability, as active presence, means absolute availability.

• Despite the situation, I’ll do something about it, be committed, and stay. I’ll embrace that change.

LESSON 5

EMMANUEL LEVINAS (THE FACE OF THE OTHER)

• FACE

• a metaphor for the totality of the human person

• a metonymy of the human person

• The “Face” is always the Other; the Other is always my neighbor.

• In this regard, the responsibility-for-the-Other is possible if one considers the Other as the whole person and not someone based on physical appearances.

• The “Face” transcends the physical and visible face.

• EPIPHANY OF THE FACE

• not just a perceptual experience but a moral experience of the Other

• the Other appears both his/her height (kataas-taasan) and poverty (karukhaan) of the Face

• HEIGHT

• “Mas mataas ang Kapwa sa akin.”

  • an asymmetrical relation

  • commands respect

• POVERTY

• “May karukhaan ang kanyang mukha. Tumatalab yung pagiging dukha niya sa pagiging kataas-taasan niya.”

  • In his/her poverty (misery or weakness), it commands respect.

• THE FACE OF THE OTHER

• the proper response to the call of the Other is responsibility

  • this is infinite

• It means: “Narito ako.” (Me Voici) and “Ikaw muna.” (Après Vous)

IN CONCLUSION

• The experience of the Other, as a Face, is an ethical experience.

• The epiphany of the human face is an ontological call of the Other to respond ethically and responsibly,

For Levinas, ethics is the first philosophy.