SOCIAL FEELING: A PROPOSAL FOR A SYSTEMATIC ARTICULATION IN RELATION TO NEUROSCIENCES

Abstract

Social feeling is one of the two fundamental demands proposed by Adler as motivational bases for human action. This instance is at the base of the social functioning of the individual in his social context and allows him to build relationships of cooperation with other individuals aimed at realizing the personal goals identified by Adler as essential for existence: work, friendship, love. Adler speaks of social feeling as a specific ability of the human being to identify himself emphatically with his fellows.
This capacity is an essential prerequisite for building deep and functional relationships with others. It does
not end with this purpose but is at the base of the attachment bonds which are essential for the construction
of one's own identity. In other writings Adler underlines the ideal value of social feeling as a motivational
drive to act beyond the immanent social context, pursuing the good of a “perfect and ideal” humanity that
does not materialize in an existing human group but is represented in the abstract and in the future. The
present contribution represents a review of the writings of Adler and of some of his contemporary succes
sors concerning the theme of social feeling in order to identify and relate the different conceptions of this
instance to each other. Possible implications for psychotherapeutic practice are discussed.