<i>As If</i>: Connecting Phenomenology, Mirror Neurons, Empathy, and Laughter
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22329/p.v7i1.3301Abstract
The discovery of mirror neurons in both primates and humans has led to an enormous amount of research and speculation as to how conscious beings are able to interact so effortlessly among one another. Mirror neurons might provide an embodied basis for passive synthesis and the eventual process of further communalization through empathy, as envisioned by Edmund Husserl. I consider the possibility of a phenomenological and scientific investigation of laughter as a point of connection that might in the future bridge the gap Husserl feared had grown too expansive between the worlds of science and philosophy. Part I will describe some implications of the discovery of mirror neurons. Part II will address Husserl’s concept of embodiment as it relates to neuroscience and empathy. Part III will be a primer to investigating laughter phenomenologically. Part IV will be a continuation of the study of laughter and empathy as possible elements helpful in broadening the scope of what Husserl calls the Life-World.
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for an article is retained by the author, with first publication rights granted to PhaenEx. By virtue of its appearance in this Open Access Journal, it is understood that the article is freely available for use, with proper attribution, for educational and other non-commercial purposes. Reuse of the article for commercial purposes by anyone other than the author requires permission of the author. The author agrees to use proper citation of PhaenEx as the original source whenever s/he later republishes or reuses the article in other platforms. ISSN: 1911-1576
Articles in PhaenEx are available under a Creative Commons Attribution License.