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15 - Phenomenology and Social Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2020

By
Thomas Szanto
Edited by
Peter Kivisto
Peter Kivisto
Affiliation:
Augustana College, Illinois
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Summary

This chapter outlines the contribution of philosophers from the classical phenomenological movement to social theory. It distinguishes two dimensions of sociality that have been explored in depth by phenomenologists, namely intersubjective and collective forms of being-together. With regard to the former, the chapter discusses, in particular, phenomenological conceptions of empathy, socio-communicative acts, social typification, and the lifeworld. With regard to the latter, it focuses on different types of social formations, collective intentionality, and the issue of emotion sharing.

Thomas Szanto is Associate Professor in Philosophy at the Center of Subjectivity Research, Department of Communication at the University of Copenhagen. He has published widely in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, social ontology, and the philosophy of emotions.

Keywords

Empathycollective intentionalityintersubjectivityphenomenological sociologyphenomenologysocial ontology
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Social Theory , pp. 292 - 316
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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