Module 7: Intersubjectivity PDF

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Module 7: Intersubjectivity Introduction Every day, we meet a lot of people in all shapes and sizes. They all have diverse personalities, as well as varied views, values, actions, attitudes, and backgrounds. In a nutsh...

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Module 7: Intersubjectivity Introduction Every day, we meet a lot of people in all shapes and sizes. They all have diverse personalities, as well as varied views, values, actions, attitudes, and backgrounds. In a nutshell, everyone is different and unique. Regardless of our differences, it is certain that people have a natural and universal need to connect with others, establish bonds, and seek close connections. Intersubjectivity What is a subject? One of the most common understanding of a subject is that “it is the topic of a particular discussion.” For example, kung naga istorya kamo sg imo nga abyan, ang inyo topic is about love. Love therefore, is the subject of your conversation or discussion. Puwede man nga ang aton understanding sg subject, is a class naton nga gina take sa school, halimbawa, Math, English, Science or Philosophy. But, from the perspective of intersubjectivity, how do we comprehend subject? According to Rodriguez et al. (2018), the term "subject" refers to a human being who is able to reflect on some part of their existence called "interiority." He adds that when I say “I” I can only say that for myself and not for anybody else, and whenever I say “I,” I become aware of my existence as being distinct from everything else. So kung mahambal kita nga, nasubuan ako (I am sad.) I am referring to an experience that is mine alone and no one else’s. Maskin pa nga naintindihan ni Juan ang akon nga kasubo. Pero akon na ya kasubo, akon na ya ekperyensya, indi kay Juan. This “I” exists in an interior space that only I have access to, even if I cannot say that I know it completely. This interior space suggests a certain depth to my selfhood that is captured by a Tagalog term “loob.” Halimbawa, Masama ang loob ko sa iyo. Buo ang loob ko. Magaan ang loob ko sa kanya. What is intersubjectivity? Intersubjectivity is a type of relationship that is defined as a subject-to-subject or person-to-person relationship (Ocay, 2020). It is the exchange or the sharing of experiential content among a plurality of subjects (Zlatev et al., 2008). Feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and meaning are all examples of experiential content. It is a state in which a man or a woman is a subject amid other men and women who are also subjects. It refers to a person’s common consciousness (shared awareness) or understanding between persons. For example, kung tulukon ka sg iban nga tawo, puwede nga ang imo reaction wala ka labot, kay wala man kamo sg shared understanding sang tawo nga nagatulok sa imo, pero kung tulukon ka ni Tatay ukon Nanay mo, kapin pa kung ang mata daw tigre, bal- an mo na kung ano ang ang meaning sg tulok nga ina. However, you can only comprehend or understand such glance in the first place, if you have a strong bond or profound relatedness with that subject, a bond that exists between two interiorities (loob), your Nanay or Tatay (subject) and you (subject). This type of intimacy emerges from the depths of our being or interiority, sa ating kalooban, sa kaibuturan ng ating mga puso, or sa Ilonggo, sa aton nga tagipuso-on or sa aton kasingkasing. This is what we call intersubjectivity. There is a far deeper relatedness that comes from the depths of our being or interiority (loob) from one person to another, beyond physical relatedness. If every individual is a subject, then intersubjectivity is the profound interaction that might arise between two deep interiorities. Every person has an intersubjective relation with every other person. However, not all relationships are created equal in terms of quality or depth (Rodriguez et. al., 2018). For instance, lain ya ang quality or depth sg relationship sg isa ka iloy sa iya bata nga lalaki compared sa relationship sg bata nga lalaki sa iya nga asawa. In the same manner, that your relationship with your best friend would not be the same quality or depth as compared to your connection with your classmates. Man/woman as a Person-Always-Exists- with-Others-in-the-World. What does this mean? It suggests that humans never show themselves in isolation, but rather in communion with others. Hindi ako “AKO” apart from the “OTHER”. Hindi ako TAWO apart from the OTHER. The uniqueness of a human being is always experienced in the context of others. Paano mo bi mahambal nga unique ka, or lain ka sa iban kung wala ang iban nga tawo? I cannot be unique in the first place, if I don’t have somebody to compare myself to. Human existence is always a relationship-based existence. In his/her presence in the world, a human being is never alone. Man/woman’s existence is always a “being-with.” Therefore, if we are “beings-in-the-world” it is always conditioned by our being-with- others-in-the-world. Furthermore, Pope John Paul II claims that participation explains the human person's essence or nature. When a man or a woman participates, he or she is able to reach their full potential. The human being is motivated toward interpersonal relationships and social sharing for the greater good. In support of this, St. Augustine argues that no human creature is self-contained. We have a responsibility to our neighbors just as much as we have a responsibility to ourselves. We participate in the communal life. Our idea or concept of the “neighbor” is by participating in the humanness of the other person. The neighbor takes into account humanness (Ramos, 2015). Martin Buber’s I and Thou Relationship Industrialization and the growth of metropolitan populations, according to Buber, are to blame for dehumanizing the contemporary man/woman by turning them from subjects to objects. Man's usage of machines, which were designed to function as tools, affected his/her attitude toward humans as objects (Ocay, 2020). For instance, makabati kita sa drama sa radyo sg mga diyalogo nga “gingamit mo lang ako, pagkatapos mo makuha ang imo gusto, bayaan mo na ako.” So in order to address these kind of attitudes and to establish an ethical principle on how human beings relate with one another, Buber proposed the I-Thou philosophical theory. The first mode is what he calls, experience mode (I-It mode). The I-It relationship points to the existence of the self and its relation to an other, which is not necessarily a human being, e.g., plants, animals, and objects. In this paradigm, the human being considers other things, people, etc, as merely as an object to be used or utilized. This type of objectivity relates to the world in terms of the self, how the individual can benefit from the other (Ocay, 2020). For example, pangaluyagan ko si Fe kay American citizen siya. Kay kung makasal na kami, may tsansa man nga ma- American citizen man ako. Ang amo ni sahi nga relationship selfish. dalok-dalok ukon sungak-sungak. When the advantage is obtained, however, the relationship terminates. This may be seen in our "throw away" or "disposal" culture. The majority of the items we use in fast food businesses are disposable. Which indicates that as soon as we use anything or somethings, we discard them. Another example, is in business connections, once the commercial arrangement is done. Most of the time, the relationship terminates as well. If you examine the connection closely, you will notice that it is oriented on the self rather than the other. As a result, it's a monologue rather than a dialogue. What does he mean when he says dialogue? Buber states that the first requirement of a dialogue, is to listen, to be open to the world, to observe, to be aware of everything, to be aware and sensitive of people, but he also emphasizes that we should not just be aware of people, we should also be aware of the forest, of the birds, of the trees, the plants and the animals (Cruz, 1995). According to Buber, there are three kinds of dialogue: (Cruz, 1995) 1. Genuine dialogue – the participants has in mind the other, and turns to her to establish a mutual living relationship between. Amo ni sahi sg diyalogo, ang una mo ginapanumdom hind ang imo kaugalingon kundi ang tawo nga imo gina- enagage.  2. Technical Dialogue – prompted by the need of objective understanding. Ex. Trabaho lang, walang personalan. 3. Monologue – two people speak each to himself such as in a debate, a conversation in which there is no need to learn or give something. According to Cruz (1995), dialogue is always a turning towards the other in his concrete reality; it is an openness, a movement of love. The encounter mode (I–Thou mode), as defined by Buber, is the second mode of existence. The I-Thou relationship points to the existence of the self and its relation to an other entity that has a human self, that is, another human being, or simply the “other". This I-Thou relationship presupposes that each participant is concerned for each other and each person turns fully and equally towards the other with openness and ethical engagement. It is important to know that this kind of relationship is characterized by dialogue and by "total-presentness". For Buber, honoring the other not because of its usefulness is of paramount priority and importance (Buber, 2012). It also refers to the realm of encounters, in which the I and the other join together to build an authentic connection and become active participants in it (Ocay, 2020). His philosophy is about the human person as a subject, who is different from things or from objects. The human person experiences his wholeness not in virtue of his/her relation to one’s self, but in virtue of his/her relation to another self. The human person establishes the world of mutual relation, of experience (Ramos, 2015). It is an authentic and genuine encounter without any qualification, judgment or objectification of one another. This type of relationship is a form of dialogue. Dialogue is a deep, meaningful and sincere interaction between the I and the Thou, or between individuals. Each other’s existence or presence is acknowledged, and they are treated as equals in dignity The human persons as subjects have direct and mutual sharing of selves. This signifies a person-to-person, subject-to-subject relation or acceptance, sincerity, concern, respect, dialog, and care. The human person is not just being-in-the-world, but being-with- others, or being-in-relation. Human beings as subjects share their self in a direct and reciprocal way. This denotes a person-to-person, subject-to-subject relationship of acceptance, sincerity, concern, respect, dialog, and caring between two people. Being-in-the-world is not the same as being-with-others, or being-in-relation (Ramos, 2015). There is no such thing as a perfect relationship. May hirap at ginhawa gid ina ya. It is because everybody is different. But being different does not mean that we are incapable of having a I and Thou relationship. Our differences should not be a hindrance, but rather an asset that complements one another. Summary Intersubjectivity is a kind of relationship which considered a subject-to-subject or person-to-person way of relating Every person has an intersubjective relation with every other person. However, not all relationship would have the same quality or depth Man/woman as a Person-Always-Exists- with-Others-in-the-World. Buber proposed an ethical principle on on how human beings relate with one another, Buber proposed the I-Thou philosophical theory.