“Recognition” by Kristina Lepold. We are essentially social beings who do not exist outside of social relationships. A corollary of this is that social relationships can be a source of recognition. As such, they impact profoundly on our ability to be truly free.
In this essay from our “New Basics” series, German philosopher Kristina Lepold traces a lineage from Kant and Hegel to contemporary thinkers like Axel Honneth and Judith Butler as she offers an account of the emergence of personhood and freedom. Within Lepold’s highly socialised view of personhood, “recognition is a condition for freedom. Our capacity for self-realisation critically depends on social affirmation.” For those of you who see the limitations and flaws in dominant individualistic conceptions of personhood and freedom, Lepold’s account - and the tradition of (primarily) German philosophy within which it is embedded - may feel like a breath of fresh air! You can read her essay here.