Riconoscimento

The article examines the concept of recognition, highlighting its growing centrality in contemporary philosophical, political, and social debate. Drawing on the work of the Frankfurt School, and in particular Habermas and Honneth, recognition is understood as an intersubjective relation based on the mutual attribution of value among individuals, institutions, and norms. After exploring the theoretical roots of the concept in Fichte and Hegel, the authors show how recognition is constitutive of individual self-consciousness and of the development of personal and social identity. The article further discusses the role of recognition in processes of emancipation and in contemporary political struggles, putting Honneth’s proposals in dialogue with critical perspectives—most notably Fraser’s—that stress the need to integrate the material and distributive dimensions of social injustice. One section focuses on social work, where recognition emerges as an ethical and practical cornerstone for countering inequalities and promoting dignity, self-determination, and social inclusion. Finally, the article addresses the role of recognition within helping relationships and intercultural social work, where it takes the form of a reciprocal process that values otherness, prevents stigmatization, and fosters both individual and collective empowerment.