Nnadiebube Journal of Philosophy

Our world today is witnessing puzzles relating to religious tensions, economic hardship and political instability and humanity seems to be overburdened with these troubles as a result of which love and trust seems to have been misplaced and has been shockingly overthrown by animosity, mistrust, hatred and individualism. There can be no significant growth in this atmosphere of disorder and instability. It is therefore against this background that this paper seeks to make an exploration of Gabriel Marcel’s concept of inter-subjectivity as the basis for understanding human existence, its complexity in relation to the world in order to achieve meaningful development, social order and peace for humanity. This paper explores Marcel's philosophy by acknowledging the complexity of human relationships, recognizing also that this complexity is often characterized by ambiguity, vulnerability, and unpredictability and by embracing this complexity, individuals can develop a more nuanced understanding of their interactions with others and cultivate empathy and compassion, thereby allowing individuals to embrace their authentic selves and to be open and vulnerable in their relationships. The paper concludes that, Marcel’s philosophy can provide a code for meaningful living and peaceful coexistence by emphasizing the importance of understanding and empathy. The key to this is the concept of understanding, the importance of togetherness which refers to the ability to understand another person's perspective and experience from their own point of view.

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