Neurophenomenology and Intersubjectivity: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Summary

This article provides conceptual coordinates for understanding recent research in the neurobiology of interpersonal experience. It analyzes how recognition of otherness and intercorporeity among humans changes the image of nature, considering a new relationship between living bodies, neurophysiological systems, and empathy. The hypothesis is that neurophenomenology, as an evolutionary, multidimensional, autopoietic approach, can probe preconditions for a phenomenology of intersubjectivity shaped by the neuroscientific discovery of mirror neurons. Neuroscientific data are interpreted through an interdisciplinary lens to offer a unified theoretical framework.

Study at a glance

Abstract

AbstractThe article aims to provide the main conceptual coordinates in order to fully understand the state of the art of the most recent research in the field of neurobiology of interpersonal experience. The main purpose of this work is to analyze, at an anthropological, phenomenological and epistemological level, how the fundamental characteristics of the recognition of otherness and intercorporeity among human beings contribute to changing the image of nature in the light of a possible new relationship between living bodies, neurophysiological systems and empathy. From this point of view, the hypothesis to investigate is that neurophenomenology, understood as a new evolutionary, multidimensional and autopoietic approach, is capable of probing the preconditions of the possible delineation of a phenomenology of intersubjectivity shaped by the neuroscientific turning point, represented by the discovery of mirror neurons. At this level, the neuroscientific data are interpreted according to a specific interdisciplinary perspective, thus trying to offer a possible unitary and integrated theoretical framework.