ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the instrumental role that intersubjectivity plays in the context of Husserl’s philosophy and to explicate and assess the very conception of intersubjectivity that is integral to Husserl’s approach. It presents new interpretive material and new approaches to a range of topics and problems that go to the heart of its core theme of intersubjectivity and methodology. The book discusses empathy with particular others, with a special focus on the emotional dimension of intersubjective constitution. It also discusses the relevance of Edmund Husserl’s view of communication in a contemporary context in “Intersubjectivity, Phenomenology, and Quine’s Philosophy of Language.” The book focuses on collective intentionality in Husserl by contextualizing it both historically and in relation to contemporary work on social ontology.