In the epoch called the Anthropocene – the age of humans – we are required to deal with the fact that human actions have large consequences for the climate of the planet, and that this causes suffering and in the long term threatens the existence of our civilization, as well as the life of other species. In the article Resonance and reflexivity as pathways to eudaimonia in the Anthropocene?, Christian Ståhl explores the possibility for a good life with these insights.
The article explores how the sociological concepts resonance and reflexivity can guide us to an ethically defendable relationship to the world. The concepts originate in two theoretical traditions, critical theory and critical realism, represented here by Hartmut Rosa and Margaret S. Archer.
Both resonance and reflexivity focus on our fundamental relationship to the world and how we relate to it as active thinking subjects. Resonance, as described by Rosa, denotes a reciprocal and meaningful relationship to the world that can be reached existentially, socially or practically. Resonance can describe both a momentary experience and a more lasting life orientation that determines how we structure our lives and what we engage in. Reflexivity is in Archer an ability through which we engage in an internal conversation to find an orientation for our life projects, and a foundation for how we can act together with others to influence society.
Through the combination of these concepts, we can approximate what Aristotle called eudaimonia – a good life, determined on ethical grounds. The ethical dimension is here understood as a scale between care and neglect. Resonance and reflexivity can contribute with both a goal (to live in a way that does not cause harm and that contributes positively to the world) and a path towards it (through self-reflexivity and collective action). In Aristotle’s time, an ethically good life demanded a certain amount of civic participation, which is a stance that remains relevant to this day.
The article is published in European Journal of Social Theory and is available free of charge here.
The article explores how the sociological concepts resonance and reflexivity can guide us to an ethically defendable relationship to the world. The concepts originate in two theoretical traditions, critical theory and critical realism, represented here by Hartmut Rosa and Margaret S. Archer.
Both resonance and reflexivity focus on our fundamental relationship to the world and how we relate to it as active thinking subjects. Resonance, as described by Rosa, denotes a reciprocal and meaningful relationship to the world that can be reached existentially, socially or practically. Resonance can describe both a momentary experience and a more lasting life orientation that determines how we structure our lives and what we engage in. Reflexivity is in Archer an ability through which we engage in an internal conversation to find an orientation for our life projects, and a foundation for how we can act together with others to influence society.
Through the combination of these concepts, we can approximate what Aristotle called eudaimonia – a good life, determined on ethical grounds. The ethical dimension is here understood as a scale between care and neglect. Resonance and reflexivity can contribute with both a goal (to live in a way that does not cause harm and that contributes positively to the world) and a path towards it (through self-reflexivity and collective action). In Aristotle’s time, an ethically good life demanded a certain amount of civic participation, which is a stance that remains relevant to this day.
The article is published in European Journal of Social Theory and is available free of charge here.