Abstract:
Based on his pioneering research on infants and drawing from the epistemological framework of phenomenology (Husserl, 1964; Habermas, 1972), Trevarthen has formulated a developmental theory of intersubjectivity which focuses on innate Other-awareness, inborn motives for sympathetic engagement with others, and cultural sharing—from the beginning of life (Trevarthen, 1977, 1980; Trevarthen and Aitken, 2001). I suggest that this theory of companionship has the potential to offer a rich conceptualization of loneliness, defined as the distress and social pain stemming from being alone. This potential has not been examined thus far and is the focus of this study.
Keywords:
loneliness, solitude, intersubjectivity, emotion, motive, sharing, culture
