Q0545
“The individual is only able to find another individual as a living…” — Edith Stein (On the Problem of Empathy (1917))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: On the Problem of Empathy (1917). Theme: otherness.
English
The individual is only able to find another individual as a living body and as a sensing, feeling, and willing I.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to On the Problem of Empathy (1917) and files it under Phenomenology. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Edith Stein
Edith Stein (1891–1942), also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was a German phenomenologist who studied with Husserl and wrote On the Problem of Empathy.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Frantz Fanon and Kwame Anthony Appiah), otherness is framed through Africana Philosophy and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define otherness; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through otherness, nature, self.
Concepts in this quote
- Otherness
- Otherness appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat otherness as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Nature
- Philosophy quotes about nature ask what the cosmos is, how humans belong in it, and whether “natural” can guide ethics or politics.
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Edith Stein. (n.d.). The individual is only able to find another individual as a living body and as a sensing, feeling, and willing I. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0545
MLA: Edith Stein. “The individual is only able to find another….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0545.
Chicago: Edith Stein. “The individual is only able to find another….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0545.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The individual is only able to find another…”?
The passage is attributed to Edith Stein, On the Problem of Empathy (1917). The archive attributes this English wording to On the Problem of Empathy (1917) and files it under Phenomenology. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Edith Stein mean by otherness?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Frantz Fanon and Kwame Anthony Appiah), otherness is framed through Africana Philosophy and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define otherness; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through otherness, nature, self.