Being and appearance

i am not what i appear to be — Ichheiser's viennese works on social consciousness

Lisa-Teresa Woller

pp. 71-86

in: Amrei Joerchel, Gerhard Benetka (eds), Memories of Gustav Ichheiser, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

According to Gustav Ichheiser, the being is an integral and fundamental part of human existence. It is what we are. The appearance is a bridge to the outside; the psychic life remains behind on the other side. There are two structures of the appearance: the first is the physical appearance, the impression awareness, a first sensation. The second form is the social appearance. Society is forcing the individual to represent a certain occupation or aura. Ichheiser called this the apperceptive prejudice. The appearance is not created; on the contrary, it happens to someone; the being needs a lot of energy to surface its innermost.

Cited authors

Ichheiser Gustav