The Problem of Opacity in Alfred Schutz's Phenomenological Sociology

Abstract

This chapter presents a systematic review of the problem of opacity developed by Schutz. In his work, opacity has a range of imbricated and overlapping meanings. The problem can refer to the arrangement of the visible and nonvisible sides that we perceive in the objects of the world, an organization that is continuously modified. It can also signify the recognition of a reality whose totality eludes our knowledge. It can allude to the paradoxical and incomprehensible character of the life world, which has a counterpart in the incomplete character of our stock of knowledge. Furthermore, it can lead to the acceptance of the unknown and of the unknowable. However, opacity is also an intersubjective concept that refers to the radical alterity of the Other and brings to light the existence of invisible aspects in social interaction. This chapter examines the multiple meanings of the problem of opacity in Schutzian phenomenological sociology and highlights its relevance for the interpretation of intersubjective understanding and cultural differences.