 Existentialism and

Phenomenology are the major

philosophical branches that devote
much discussion on the concept of
interpersonal relations.
 The individual is primarily aware of
himself or herself, and it is this
egocentric perspective that defines
how he or she perceives and relates
to reality. This awareness of
individuality is called the “self”.
 The existentialist perspective defines
interpersonal relations as the “self” being
aware of the “other”.
 The “other” generally refers to objects
outside of personal experience, while it is
often used by most philosophers to refer
to other individuals apart from the self.
 In other words, an individual is
naturally aware of himself as a
distinct being(self) and yet he is also
aware that there are other being
apart from him ( The Other).
 Intersubjectivity - a philosophical
concept that refer to the interaction
between the self and the other.
 Which is the shared awareness and
understanding among persons.
 Ability to agree and cooperate

 Shared common knowledge

 Shared emotions (grief, joy, and love)

 Simple awareness of the existence of
other.
 A deeper level of interaction
between the self and the other - is
the awareness of the self as being
seen by others.
 Self-consciousness - is considered
by philosophers as a defining
characteristics of the self-other
relationship.
 Now imagine that the person is not a
stranger but someone familiar: a
family member, a friend even your
crush.
 This awareness of the person staring
at you will initially result in feeling of
self-consciousness, even shame.
 The unique phenomenon of the human
gaze is considered a defining
characteristic which sets apart human
interaction from the interaction of the other
species.
 The awareness of the “self in the other” is
an important element in all other aspects
of interpersonal interactions.
 These actions are referred to by Martin
Buber as “seeming”- where an individual
presents himself or herself in a certain
way when dealing with others.Buber
describes persons as taking on “roles” or
characters when dealing with certain
people or when in certain situations.
 Buber in his studies of the self other
relationship, identifies another, much
deeper level of interaction which is the
dialogue - refers to a genuine
relationship established among
individuals. A dialogue is made possible
when the self realizes that the other is
genuine and unique individual.
 When two individuals begin to vies
each other as other- that is, truly
acknowledging each other’s
presence- then is the beginning of an
authentic relationship and a dialogue.