Trauma, Language, and Trust

Matthew James Ratcliffe

Trauma, Language, and Trust

Philosophy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

In times of emotional upheaval, one’s own words and/or those of others can seem strangely hollow, somehow off the mark. In extreme cases of individual- and group-level trauma, it is sometimes said that language fails us completely or that some experiences defy articulation. This chapter considers why certain experiences might pose particular linguistic challenges and what the experience of linguistic inadequacy consists of. I sketch a phenomenological approach that emphasizes (a) how words can be experienced as estranged from habitual contexts of use; and (b) how non-localized breakdowns of trust further impact on the experience of communication. This aids us in understanding experiences of trauma, while also providing broader insights into the phenomenology of language and how it relates to the habitually experienced world.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Empathy, Intersubjectivity, and the Social World: The Continued Relevance of Phenomenology
Editors	Anna Bortolan, Elisa Magri
Publisher	De Gruyter
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-11-069888-6
ISBN (Print)	978-3-11-069863-3
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2021

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Trauma, Language, and Trust
This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.
Licence: Other

Grief: A Study of Human Emotional Experience
Ratcliffe, M. J. (Principal investigator) & Richardson, L. F. (Co-investigator)
AHRC
1/01/20 → 31/12/23
Project: Research project (funded) › Research

Cite this

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BT - Empathy, Intersubjectivity, and the Social World: The Continued Relevance of Phenomenology

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PB - De Gruyter

ER -

Trauma, Language, and Trust

Abstract

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Projects

Grief: A Study of Human Emotional Experience

Cite this