Le désir d'intersubjectivité. Pourquoi? Comment?

Abstract

The importance of intersubjectivity, or sharing of lived experience between persons, has been acknowledged by philosophers before psychologists. It doesn't exist without interaction. Intersubjectivity underlies language and consciousness. The discovery of mirror neurons and adaptive oscillators shows that intersubjectivity has neurological foundations. Developmental psychology reveals its psychological foundations - imitation, joint attention, intention detection. Like attachment, intersubjectivity may be considered as a motivational system. Whereas attachment regulates fear and curiosity, intersubjectivity regulates psychic intimacy and the sense of belonging to the group. They are separate, but both necessary for human survival. Intersubjectivity is not only dyadic, but groupal too, as documented by the studies of the Centre d'Étude de la Famille on affect sharing in the family - even though the processes by which this sharing is realized remain to clarify.