"You-Consciousness"—Towards Political Theory: Etty Hillesum’s Experience And Symbolization Of The Divine Presence
Meins G.S. Coetsier
2010 DOI: 10.1163/ej.9789004188587.i-490.38 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Coetsier proposes that "You-Consciousness" is the symbolic form of the soul's response to the transcendent irruption of the "Presence," and argues that Etty Hillesum's diaries and letters exemplify this through her dialogic address to "You" ("Jij"). He contends that this analysis, grounded in Voegelin's philosophy of consciousness and dialogical thinkers, carries implications for political theory today. |
Abstract
"You-Consciousness" is the symbolic form of the soul's response to the transcendent irruption of the "Presence." This unusual symbolic form, coined by Coetsier, is embedded in Etty Hillesum's Letters and diaries, and his paper is an attempt to describe it. His study of You-Consciousness focuses on Etty Hillesum's experience and symbolization of the divine presence as "You" ("Jij"), i.e. her ongoing dialogue with "God" or"You" through writing, while reflecting on the consequences of such experiences for political theory today. Coetsier draws on the theoretical foundations provided by the anamnetic meditation, the philosophy of consciousness, of the German philosopher of history Eric Voegelin and the language symbols that have been developed in recent times by, among others, a diverse group of philosophical writers who have articulated the notion of persons in dialogue, including Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, Gabriel Marcel and Emmanuel Levinas.