Mirror Neurons, Husserl, and Enactivism: An Analysis of Phenomenological Compatibility
Perspectives September 1, 2016 Genevieve Hayman 1 citation
Mirror neuron research has been widely discussed for explaining social cognition, but this article argues it conflicts with phenomenological accounts of intersubjectivity, particularly those of Dan Zahavi. The enactivist perspectives of Thomas Fuchs and Hanne De Jaegher offer an alternative description of intersubjectivity that resolves these incompatibilities. The article assesses whether the enactivist account is more phenomenologically consistent than mirror neuron research alone, concluding that it overcomes Zahavi's objections. It recommends that Fuchs and De Jaegher acknowledge their debt to Husserlian descriptions of empathy and that mirror neuron research be placed within a broader, phenomenologically compatible framework.