Reciprocity, Reaction and The Transduction of Social Encounters

In these remarks, we highlight which links connect the concepts of reciprocity and reaction as well as, most importantly, how this comparison might influence renewed theorizations of social interaction. As it behooves such an attempt, Marcel Mauss’ framework is our starting point: in particular, his emphasis on mutuality’s indeterminacy aptly illustrates the inherent openness toward others’ responses (i.e., toward their topicality, potential disloyalty or misunderstanding, emotionality, etc.), envisioned here as the actual initiator of “the socius”. Then, we rely on Simondon’s concept of transindividuality to further dismantle any linear, reciprocal image of symmetry, by analysing concrete manifestations of reciprocity that exist in and through the practices of coexistence — we pose that reactions quintessentially represent these operational vectors. The conclusion looks into human-AI interaction sequences, to exemplify how reciprocity and reactive state can show all their essential uncertainties and potentials.