Review: Alfred Schäfer & Michael Wimmer (Eds.) (2006). Selbstauslegung im Anderen [Self-interpretation Through the Other]

Abstract

This volume is dedicated to the philosophical problem of other minds—that is, of the inaccessible other that resists all attempts at understanding. From this perspective, problems arise if individuals can only come to self-understanding by differentiating themselves from others—how is this possible if the other is radically inaccessible? This compilation contains essays approaching these problems from the point of view of different disciplines. Despite many interesting approaches with links to further research the volume suffers from a high degree of heterogeneity and it becomes difficult to keep track of the overall argument. Furthermore, the claim that connections to current issues and controversies will be shown is not always maintained. This may be ascribed to the fact that this claim is often obscured by hard-going exegesis of the thoughts of various "thinkers of difference." URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0801515

Keywords

• educational science
• cultural studies
• alterity
• difference
• the other
• Lacan
• Lévinas