Professor of Philosophy and Senior Research Fellow at St Hilda's, Dan Zahavi, has received a grant from the European Research Council for his research project 'Who are we? Self-identity, social cognition, and collective intentionality'.
Prof. Zahavi was awarded an Advanced Grant of €2.4 million to fund this five-year project involving six other researchers, primarily working from the Center for Subjectivity Research in Copenhagen, Prof. Zahavi's home institution.
We can enjoy a concert together, solve a task, reach a decision or make plans for the future, and we can share attitudes, emotions, traditions and even a common identity. But how is this possible?
Prof. Zahavi gives us an overview: 'Given the recent upsurge of nationalism and identity politics, and given the repeated insistence on the importance of social cohesion and the increasing focus on the difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’, it is essential to gain an understanding of what it means to be part of a larger we. What kind of social understanding does this require, and what is the relation between the individual and the group, between self-identity and group identity?'
The aim of the project is to develop and understanding of the relations between the group and individual. Whilst philosophical, the project will greatly contribute to key issues within social sciences and will involve researchers within various fields, including anthropology and developmental psychology.
