Il pregiudizio, la conoscenza e l'Altro. Esplorazioni sulla natura della mente

Abstract

Prejudice, Knowledge, and the Other. Explorations of the Nature of Mind - Prejudice is one of the most important topics in the history of psychological research, not only for the social relevance of the theme, but also because it implies a series of epistemological stances, much debated by philosophers, regarding the possibility of acquiring any knowledge of reality. It evokes interesting issues regarding realism and relativ-ism, the role of language in the processes of thinking and knowing, agency and personal responsibility, with – in the background – the “central question” of the nature of the human mind. With reference to these gen-eral topics, the discussion of prejudice in psychology is a good example of the contrasts between, as well as the possibility for integration of, cognitive and socio-constructionist approaches. Studies on prejudice may contribute considerably to this debate, since they highlight the crucial role of social relations, and in particu-lar of relations with the Other, in the shaping of the human mind.

Keywords

• Prejudice
• Mind
• Culture
• Realism
• Constructionism