A Philosophical Commentary on Preston and Shumsky's “Toward an Integrative Sensibility: Conversing Across Theoretical Boundaries”

Abstract

I further develop the notion of integrative sensibility by showing how it relates to Heidegger's notion of authentic discourse, can be expanded to include Arendt's notion of an internal dialogue as the fulcrum of ethical life, and by demonstrating why it is that epistemological attitude which is most consonant with the development of the self. I conclude with an imaginary dialogue between a scientist who rejects all perspectives not grounded in the scientific method and a devotee of integrative sensibility.

Translations of Abstract

Desarrollaré más a fondo la idea de sensibilidad integrativa al demostrar como esta noción se relaciona con la de Heidegger del discurso auténtico, y puede ampliarse para incluir la idea de Arendt de un diálogo interno como el eje de la vida ética, y demostraré porque la actitud epistemológica es la que es más favorable al desarrollo del self. Terminaré con un diálogo imaginario entre un científico que rechaza toda perspectiva no fundamentada en el método científico y un seguidor de la sensibilidad integrativa.

J'approfondis la notion de sensibilité intégrative en montrant comment elle est reliée à celle de discours authentique chez Heidegger et peut même inclure celle du dialogue interne, pivot de la vie éthique, selon Arendt. J'explique pourquoi il s'agit de l'attitude épistémologique la plus en phase avec le développement du soi. Je conclus par un dialogue imaginaire entre un homme de science rejetant toute perspective non fondée sur la méthode scientifique et un partisan de la sensibilité intégrative.

Sviluppo ulteriormente la nozione di sensibilità integrative mostrando come essa richiami quella di discorso autentico di Heidegger, e possa essere estesa per ricomprendere il dialogo interno quale fulcro della vita etica proposto dalla Arend, e argomento le ragioni per cui questo atteggiamento epistemologico è quello più in sintonia con lo sviluppo del sé. Concludo con un dialogo immaginario tra uno scienziato che rifiuta qualunque prospettiva non basata sul metodo scientifico e un seguace della sensibilità integrativa.

Ich entwickele den Begriff der integrativen Sensibilität weiter, indem ich den Zusammenhang zu Heideggers Begriff des authentischen Diskurses aufzeige und darauf verweise, wie er so erweitert werden kann, dass er Hannah Arendts Begriff des inneren Dialogs als Stützpunkt ethischen Lebens einbezieht und demonstriere, warum eine epistemologische Perspektive mit der Entwicklung des Selbst am besten in Einklang zu bringen ist. Ich schließe mit einem imaginären Dialog zwischen einem Wissenschaftler, der jede Perspektive ablehnt, die seiner Ansicht nach nicht wissenschaftlich ist und einem Anhänger integrativer Sensibilität.

Keywords:

• attitude
• dialogue
• epistemology
• ethics
• integrative sensibility
• openness
• truth

Notes

This article has been NetLinked. Please visit www.iapsp.org/netlink to view or post comments or questions to the author about this article.

¹While it is Phillip Bromberg (1998) who is most noted for developing the theory that our psyches are constituted by numerous self states, Kohut (1985) also proposes this theory in his “On Courage” (pp. 5–50).

²See my Why It Is Good to Be Good: Ethics, Kohut's Self Psychology, and Modern Society (Riker, 2010) for an extended argument for why persons who want to have coherent, vibrant selves need to be ethical human beings.

³See my “Self Psychology and the Problem of Otherness” (Riker, 2012)for an elaboration of how and why it is crucial to deal with otherness in order to develop and stay vital as a human being.