INTERSUBJECTIVITY

HOW DO YOU DEFINE

INTERSUBJECTIVITY
In social sciences, it is referred
to as the psychological
connection between people

In philosophy, it is defined as
the empathetic swapping of
thoughts between people
In psychology, it refers to the
sharing of social experience
between people
In literature, this term means
that several characters have
viewpoints that are placed
within the same story
 Term originally coined by the
philosopher Edmund Husserl, is
most simply stated as the
interchange of thoughts and
feelings, both conscious and
unconscious, between two
persons or “subjects” as
facilitated by empathy
The shared perception of
reality between or among
two or more individuals
Intersubjectivity
requires
accepting
Differences
and not to
Impose on
others
• We look at our
differences and may
have “labels”
toward one another
• We have collected
and given labels
ourselves towards
others.
• Labels both NEGATIVE and
POSITIVE
• We are STILL DIFFERENT
INDIVIDUALS, different
appearances, characteristics,
attitudes, beliefs, and point of views.
• We could go beyond the labels,
redesign it to something new.
• If the negative labels can be
contagious, so can positive ones.
• We must focus on the positive for
these labels can strengthen
relationships
PERFORMANCE
TASK NO. 4
Direction:
• Intersubjective relationship is one of
the favorite themes of Filipino songs.
• Think of a Filipino song which is about
intersubjectivity.
• Write down the lyrics of the song and
analyze how intersubjectivity is
explored by the song.
• Give also the implication of the song to
relationships you have with others.
What Philosophers Say
About Intersubjectivity
Karol Wojtyla
voy-TY-wah

– He is also St. John

Paul II but as a
philosopher, we use his
real name.
Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II)
- For Wojtyla, human action is the
foundation of our being.
- But human reality is also about being
with others, so our actions are also
directed towards others.
- This form of action is now called
- “P a r t i c i p a t i o n.”
Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II)
In the theory of participation, man
has the capacity to share himself
to others.
This affirms the reality that man
acts and exists with others.
Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II)
He is a member of the community of
persons, a community of “I-You” or
“We”.

Since man is a member of this

community, his experience with others
gives him meaning and allows him to
create meaning with others.
Wojtyla’s theory of participation
(WE-RELATION)
PARTICIPATION
the ability of the person to exist and
act together with others without
losing oneself as he moves towards
his self-fulfillment
Martin Buber
– He is a Jewish
philosopher who introduced
the “I Thou” and “I-It”
relationships to embody his
philosophy of
intersubjectivity.
Martin Buber
↘ For Buber, we have to treat another
person as a subject (a being different
from things or objects).
↘ Persons are not inanimate objects to be
used. They have their own mind and free
will, thus, we have to respect others as
we respect ourselves.
Martin Buber

↘ “I” refers to the self and “Thou”

or “You” refers to others.
↘ This “I-Thou” relationship is the
most meaningful relationship in
the realm of humanity
Martin Buber
↘The “I” is the same with the
“Thou” and there should be mutual
relationship between them.
↘ We can only recognize the self in
the context of the other.
Martin Buber
↘This is a “person-to-person”
relationship, “subject-to-subject” relation.
↘We need to accept, respect, be sincere,
and have dialogue with the other.
Confucius

One of the main ideas

of Confucianism is Ren
or “human-
heartedness”.
Confucius

One of the main ideas of

Confucianism is Ren or “human-
heartedness”.
Confucius
It is a virtue central to man that can be
found in his sociality or
intersubjectivity.
In his philosophy, Confucius stresses
order and harmony in the world
Confucius

His aims can be achieved through

practical, concrete, particular and
perceptual ways.
This means Confucian thinking on
intersubjectivity is practical humanism.
Confucius

There is an emphasis on human action

in society.
He calls every man to love the other
through actions, not through thoughts.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Direction:
• Activity:
DIFFERENTIATION. State
the distinct ideas of the three
philosophers. Write them in the
separate columns. Also, write
the ideas where all three
philosophers agree using the
space provided for.
 6.2 APPRECIATE THE
TALENTS OF PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES AND
THOSE FROM
UNDERPRIVILEGED
SECTORS OF THE
SOCIETY AND THEIR
CONTRIBUTIONS
A . – ON PWDS

• There are many categories of PWD.

There are the hearing impaired,
diabetic, asthmatic or cystic fibrotic
person.
• Negative attitudes of the family and
community toward PWD may add to
their poor academic and vocational
outcomes.
 B. ON UNDERPRIVILEGED SECTORS OF SOCIETY

• Dimension of Poverty

• Income
• Health
• Education
• Empowerment
• Working condition.
 C. ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN

- In 1712, Jean Jacques Rousseau said that

women should be educated to please men.
Moreover, he believes that women should be
useful to men, should take care, advise, console
men, and to render men’s lives easy and
agreeable.

• He also influenced the development of modern

political, sociological, and educational thought.
C. ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN

• Mary Wollstonecraft, believes

that women must be united to
men in wisdom and rationality.

• Women should not just be valued

until their beauty fades.
•What could be the person talking about
in the picture?
•How do they communicate?
•Do you still remember the last
conversation that you had with your
friends, classmates, family or relatives?
•How was the conversation?
•Do you consider it as something positive
or negative?
 ASSIGNMENT

• Ask the students to group

themselves and interview one
person they know in their
community who is with a disability
or belonging to the minority sector
who have achieved something or
contributed to their community.
 6.3 EXPLAIN THE
AUTHENTIC DIALOG
THAT IS ACCEPTING
OTHERS REGARDLESS
OF INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES
 WE ARE A CONVERSATION

• Martin Heidegger says that humankind is a

conversation..
• Conversation is more than an idle talk but a dialog. This
means that humanity is progressively attuned to
communication about Being.
• Language, as one of possession, creates human world.
• Language is a tool for communication, information, and
social interaction. However, language can also be
amazement
 WE ARE A CONVERSATION

We Are a Conversation

- A dialog is a conversation that is attuned to each other and to

whatever they are talking about. Mutual tuning is perfected in
the attunement.

- A conversation is creative, poetic and deep that allows

humanity to exist as more entities.
6.3 EXPLAIN THE AUTHENTIC DIALOG THAT IS ACCEPTING
OTHERS REGARDLESS OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

We Are a Conversation

- In a conversation there could be a “stammer” which

is trying to express the unnamable.

- For Heidegger, a conversation attempts to articulate

who and what we are, not as particular individuals but as
human beings. We are human beings who care about
more information and gratification.
 6.3 EXPLAIN THE AUTHENTIC DIALOG THAT IS ACCEPTING
OTHERS REGARDLESS OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

We Are a Conversation

For Martin Buber, a life of dialog is a mutual sharing of our inner

selves in the realm of inter human. Between two persons is a mutual
awareness of each other as persons; avoiding objectification.

Being is presenting what one really is, to present to the other one’s
real self. Personal making entails the affirmation of the other as a
person who is unique and has distinct personality.

There is the acceptance of the person unfolding the other actualize

himself/ herself.
6.4 PERFORM ACTIVITIES THAT DEMONSTRATE THE TALENTS
OF PWD’S AND UNDERPRIVILEGED SECTORS OF SOCIETY

• One of the major reasons why many PWD

enterprises fail because of the lack of market for
their products.
• Disability is considered a development issue
because of its relationship to poverty.
• People with disabilities incur additional expenses to
achieve a standard of living similar to those without
disabilities such as health care services, costlier
transportation options, and special diets among
others.
6.4 PERFORM ACTIVITIES THAT DEMONSTRATE THE TALENTS
OF PWD’S AND UNDERPRIVILEGED SECTORS OF SOCIETY

• In relationship to poverty, human trafficking has

become a form of modern-day slavery.
• Globally, men, women, and children are forced into
prostitution, cybersex/pornography, and other forms of
exploitation that assault human dignity.
• Pope Francis calls this “crimes against humanity”. This
is what Martin Buber calls as
I-It relation, where the other human being is perceived
as an object rather than as human being.