A first group of publications critically assess the strengths and the limits of the dyadic I-you model, which is typically applied to account for the emergence of a “we-perspective”, and at the same time, fleshes out a new understanding of the dyadic encounter between ego and alter ego, It suggests that the constitution of a “we” depends on understanding this encounter between I and you called ‘empathy’, not as the reproduction of sameness, but as a transformative dynamic, propelled by a troubling otherness (foreignness), that dislocates us in space and time and yields that enduring and livable “we” beyond the boundaries of cultural and religious, national communities. A second group of publications analyze and critically assesses the rich, yet still largely ignored, conceptual resources that Jean-Paul Sartre offer us to think the genesis of a we-perspective, (along with a “we-way” of thinking and acting), and the role that the third play in the transition from a first-person singular to a first-person plural perspective. A third group of publications presents some of the most innovative results of my research on the ethical foundations of a “we”, which extends beyond our immediate sphere of belonging. I mainly worked on the ethical philosophy of E. Levinas. Among the philosophical sources I considered in my study, I became interested in the American philosopher J. Butler, and I focused in particular on her ethics of vulnerability and her concept of bodily interdependence. A fourth group of publications presents some of the most innovative results of my research on the political implications that we can draw from this model on the political level. During this phase, I worked on one of the most innovative and challenging contemporary thinkers that attempted to rethink the “we” and “our being-with”, the French philosopher, Jean-Luc Nancy. I analyzed in particular his reflections on Being Singular Plural, as well as his latest reflections on the experience and the structures of inter-group political conflicts, and their possible overcoming. On this topic, I organized a conference at the host institution, entitled “La communauté à venir. Hommage à Jean-Luc Nancy”. Contributions will be gathered in an edited volume to be published in March 2024. A particular advanced axis of my work, was devoted to develop an understanding of the “we” which goes beyond the Us/them divide, which has dominated social and political philosophy during the last two centuries. I worked on three key figures, E. Levinas, J. Derrida and B. Waldenfels in order to challenge the antagonistic view of the “us versus them” relation, and to put into question its binary exclusionary logic. The research I have devoted myself to over the past two years has allowed me to open a new line of research, on a critical theory of the “we”. For the time being I was able to pursue this line of thought through the organization of a large international conference at the host institution on “Phénoménologie(s) et critique(s) du ‘nous’”. Contributions will be gathered in an edited volume and results published in articles in the coming months.
