Cringe as a Problem

The article offers a philosophical reflection on the phenomenon of cringe. It is argued that the concept of cringe has the right to a closer attitude to it, especially if you pay attention to the layers of problems at the junction of which both the cringe itself and interest in it are formed. These problems include, first, the problem of evaluative judgment as a reaction that substitutes for action. Using Deleuzian ideas of the active and the reactive forces, the author argues that cringe exists as a form of the reactive, substituting for action. Second, the problem of interreaction is considered. Based on Robert Pfaller’s and Slavoj Žižek’s concept of interpassivity, the conclusion is made that a similar phenomenon, interreactivity, exists, and its irreducibility to interpassivity is shown. The author proposes to consider cringe as a form close to interreactivity, but still not reducible to it. Third, the problem of cringe intensity and its relation to haptic experience is considered. Based on the proposed problems, the author draws two conclusions, the first of which fixes cringe as a special case of a more general phenomenon called hyperesthesia. The second conclusion speaks about the significance of the cringe concept for expanding the understanding of sensuality.