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problem-of-the-other
The philosophical difficulty of establishing the existence and nature of other conscious beings beyond one's own self.
1 chapter across 1 book
Being and Nothingness (1943)Jean-Paul Sartre
Chapter 1GT259
This chapter explores the ontological problem of the Other's existence, focusing on how the presence of the Other reveals new dimensions of the self, particularly through the experience of shame. Sartre critiques realism for failing to adequately account for the immediate presence of the Other's consciousness, showing that the Other is not simply given but is a complex phenomenon that challenges solipsism and demands a reconsideration of intersubjectivity. The chapter sets the stage for addressing the fundamental questions of how the Other exists and how one's being relates to the Other's being.