Husserl’s Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity

This collection examines the instrumental role of intersubjectivity in Husserl’s philosophy and explores the potential for developing novel ways of addressing and resolving contemporary philosophical issues on that basis. This is the first time Iso Kern offers an extensive overview of this rich field of inquiry for an English-speaking audience. Guided by his overview, the remaining articles present new approaches to a range of topics and problems that go to the heart of its core theme of intersubjectivity and methodology. Specific topics covered include intersubjectivity and empathy, intersubjectivity in meaning and communication, intersubjectivity pertaining to collective forms of intentionality and extended forms of embodiment, intersubjectivity as constitutive of normality, and, finally, the central role of intersubjectivity in the sciences. The authors’ perspectives are strongly influenced by Husserl’s own methodological concerns and problem awareness and are formed with a view to applicability in current debates – be it within general epistemology, analytic philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, meta-ethics or philosophy of science. With contributions written by leading Husserl scholars from across the Analytic and Continental traditions, Husserl’s Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity is a clear and accessible resource for scholars and advanced students interested in Husserl’s phenomenology and the relevance of intersubjectivity to philosophy, sociology, and psychology.

"The essays in this book make important contributions to issues that are current both within and across analytic and phenomenological philosophy. Importantly, the book also helps blur the (artificial) distinction between Analytic and Continental philosophy. The essays are written from a phenomenological perspective with analytic rigor, clarity, and absence of unexplained jargon. They will be accessible to analytic and phenomenological philosophes alike and also to sociologists, psychologists, and other scholars working in these areas." – Ronald McIntyre, California State University, Northridge"This volume is a much welcome addition to the growing research on Husserl’s theory of intersubjectivity. It gathers an impressive roaster of internationally leading experts from both the analytic and continental tradition within Husserl scholarship. Thus, it succeeds in bridging the notorious continental/analytic divide and forcefully brings Husserl’s intricate theory of sociality to bear on a range of topics and disciplines of contemporary relevance." – Thomas Szanto, University of Copenhagen

Frode Kjosavik is Professor of Philosophy at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He was a group leader in Philosophy at the Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, 2015/16. Publications include articles on Kant, Husserl, the philosophy of mathematics and the philosophy of biology.Christian Beyer is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Göttingen. He was Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation, Associated Fellow at the Lichtenberg-Kolleg (Göttingen) and Fellow at the Centre for Advanced Studies (Oslo). He authored Von Bolzano zu Husserl (1996), Intentionalität und Referenz (2000), Subjektivität, Intersubjektivität, Personalität (2006).Christel Fricke is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oslo, Norway. She was the founding director of the Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature. She edited The Ethics of Forgiveness (Routledge, 2011); Intersubjectivity and Objectivity in Adam Smith and Edmund Husserl (with Dagfinn Føllesdal, Ontos Verlag, 2012).