Publication | Open Access
Can We Understand Ourselves?
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1997
Year
Cultural RelationLinguistic AnthropologyAlien CulturesOwn CultureCognitionPhilosophical PsychologyCultural StudiesSocial SciencesPhilosophy Of MindCultural DiversityCultural TraditionsCultural NormsLanguage StudiesCross-cultural IssueCognitive ScienceWorld CulturesSelf-awarenessEmbodied CognitionCultural SensitivityCulturePrinciple OpaqueCultural PracticesIntercultural CommunicationBiculturalismCultural AnthropologyCultural BeliefsCultural Psychology
When it is asked if it is ‘possible’ for us to understand alien cultures, a contrast is implied with a certain conception of the understanding we have of our own culture. This contrast has certain parallels with the philosophical ‘problem of other minds’, in which a contrast is also drawn between understanding myself and others. Though these are different questions, they are related — in that somewhat parallel confusion about the notion of ‘understanding’ are involved in both. Our own culture is not in principle transparent to our understanding; neither are other cultures in principle opaque.