Elsewhere 1 we were concerned with fundamental aspects of the question how man can comprehend his fellow-men. We analyzed man's subjective experiences of the Other and found in them the basis for his understanding of the Other's subjective processes of consciousness. The very assumption of the existence of the Other, however, introduces the dimension of intersub jectivity. The world is experienced by the Self as being inhabited by other Selves, as being a world for others and of others. As we had occasion to point out, intersubjective reality is by no means homogeneous. The social world in which man finds himself exhibits a complex structure; fellow-men appear to the Self under different aspects, to which correspond different cognitive styles by which the Self perceives and apprehends the Other's thoughts, motives, and actions. In the present investigation it will be our main task to describe the origin of the differentiated structures of social reality as well as to reveal the principles underlying its unity and coherence. It must be stressed that careful description of the processes which enable one man to understand another's thoughts and actions is a prerequisite for the methodology of the empirical social sciences. The question how a scientific interpretation of human action is possible can be resolved only if an adequate • From: De, sinnha/te A II/ball tler sowuen WeU, Vienna, 1932; 2nd ed. 1960 (Sektion IV: Strukturanalyse der Sozialwelt, Soziale Umwelt, Mitwelt, Vorwelt, English adaptation by Professor Thomas Luckmann.

Keywords

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: Collected Papers II
Book Subtitle: Studies in Social Theory
Authors: Alfred Schutz
Editors: Arvid Brodersen
Series Title: Phaenomenologica
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1340-6
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive
Copyright Information: Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands 1976
Hardcover ISBN: 978-90-247-0248-0Published: 31 October 1976
Softcover ISBN: 978-94-010-1342-0Published: 12 October 2011
eBook ISBN: 978-94-010-1340-6Published: 06 December 2012
Series ISSN: 0079-1350
Series E-ISSN: 2215-0331
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 300
Topics: Phenomenology

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Authors:

Editors:

Sections

Buy it now

Buying options

Other ways to access

Table of contents (13 chapters)

Front Matter

Pure Theory

Front Matter

Applied Theory

Front Matter

Back Matter

About this book

Keywords

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Buy it now

Buying options

Other ways to access

Search

Navigation