THE BIRTH OF THE SELF FROM THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WORLD AND THE OTHER: an arendtian analysis

Abstract

This text aims to understand the conception of the Self in Hannah Arendt. It is a bibliographical research based on her main works – The Human Condition and The Life of the Mind – exploring how sensory perception and language play crucial roles in the constitution of the subject. Arendt overturns the traditional logic that considers the other as secondary, arguing that the full realization of the subject depends on mutual recognition. In addition to the five senses, she proposes the existence of a “sixth sense,” related to the capacity to articulate experiences and meanings through language. This capacity not only constructs a shared world but also shapes perception and consciousness, enabling deep reflection on oneself, the other, and the world. Politics is understood as the space where the relationship between subjects is realized through action and discourse. Private life, on the other hand, is seen as a form of symbolic death, as the Self cannot fully exist without being seen and recognized by others. Thus, human existence is fulfilled in the public space, where the plurality of perspectives configures a common world, emphasizing that language and intersubjectivity are essential for the construction of reality and identity, where the authenticity of the Self is constituted in interaction with the world and the other.