Abstract
The analysis of the Vietnamese unique mode of person reference can offer original contributions to the international philosophical debate. Presenting a conception of the individual which radically differs from the self centered entity that characterized the origins of so-called “western” idea of the “Ego”, it has been recognized by some authors1 as an interesting instrument for deconstructing several universalist assumptions about the “self”. In the same time, it casts a new light on the connections between the “Ego” and the world in which – or thanks to which – he/she lives.
1 More precisely, few scholars have addressed this issue directly, due to the fact that knowledge of the Vietnamese language is uncommon among non-native philosophers.
“Knowing Vietnamese language and culture means using personal pronouns properly. Addressing people with the correct pronouns makes you a member of the Vietnamese family and society” (Nguyễn Văn Nam, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Italy)
Photo Credit: Somber and dreamy portraits painted by Vietnamese artist Do Duy Tuan.