around intersubjectivity

Enacting Intersubjectivity: A Cognitive and Social Perspective on the Study of Interactions. Edited by: F. Morganti, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland; A. Carassa, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland; and G. Riva, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
Preface:
"Intersubjectivity is a central theoretical construct intersecting various disciplines. As a research field it is therefore characterised by its being the meeting point of areas and methodologies even very different from each other. In the history of science, when this sort of overlapping takes place, we witness the gradual emergence of ever more complex theoretical constructs, which can become the conceptual ground for building more general theories.'




International Workshop
ENACTING INTERSUBJECTIVITY
Paving the way for a dialogue between Cognitive Science,
Social Cognition and Neuroscience
Contemporary research on cognitive and social cognition is focussed on humans’ abilities to understand others and to establish interpersonal relationships with them. Within this field intersubjectivity is investigated as a basic aspect of social cognition that allows to share experiences and to be attuned to others’ mental states in an immediate way. A large amount of work has been done on this topic in cognitive and developmental psychology, neuroscience, philosophy of mind. The workshop aims at bringing together theoretical and research contributions derived from cognitive science, neuroscience and social sciences with the aim to enhance integration and cross-fertilization between these areas.



Intersubjectivity in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
B. Alan Wallace
This essay focuses on the theme of intersubjectivity, which is central to the entire
Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It addresses the following five themes pertaining to
Buddhist concepts of intersubjectivity: (1) the Buddhist practice of the cultivation of meditative quiescence challenges the hypothesis that individual human consciousness emerges solely from the dynamic interrelation of self and other; (2) the central Buddhist insight practice of the four applications of mindfulness is a means for gaining insight into the nature of oneself, others and the relation between oneself and the rest of the world, which provides a basis for cultivating a deep sense of empathy; (3) the Buddhist cultivation of the four immeasurables is expressly designed to arouse a rich sense of empathy with others; (4) the meditative practice of dream yoga, which illuminates the dream-like nature of waking reality is shown to have deep implications regarding the nature of intersubjectivity; (5) the theory and practice of Dzogchen, the ‘great perfection’ system of meditation, challenges the assertion of the existence of an inherently real, localized, ego-centred mind, as well as the dichotomy of objective space as opposed to perceptual space.
Introduction The theme of intersubjectivity lies at the very core of the Indo-Tibetan Buddhi