Category: philosophy of mind
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The structure of the “noema”
In several previous posts (here and here), I have described two interpretations of Husserl’s crucial concept of the “noema,” offering problems with both interpretations. Some scholars maintain that when Husserl speaks of the noema, he is referring to a mental entity that is roughly equivalent to Frege’s “sense.” Others argue that by “noema” Husserl simply…
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The “noema” continued: difficulties with interpreting Husserl
In my last post, I introduced the concept of the “noema,” outlining two very different interpretations of it. On the one hand, the Fregean school of thought maintains that the noema for Husserl is essentially a mental entity that mediates our awareness of objects in the world. On the other hand, Gurwitsch argues that the…
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Into the Wilds of Thought: the Hunt for the Elusive “Noema”
In a previous post, I briefly discussed Husserl’s understanding of intentionality. This concept came to Husserl from the scholastics a la Franz Brentano, and it sets Husserl apart from most of the early modern philosophers. In essence, intentionality refers to the truth that all consciousness is, explicitly or implicitly, of something. As Dermot Moran writes,…
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How to be a Philosopher
What does it mean to be a philosopher? How does one philosophize? Throughout history, numerous answers to these questions have been given. For Plato, to do philosophy is to behold the Forms. For Marcus Aurelius, to be a philosopher is to act virtuously and embrace calm indifference in the face of circumstance. For Descartes, philosophy…
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Resources for Students and Thinkers: Immanuel Kant
When I was studying for my Master’s degree, I would constantly search the internet for resources on various philosophers. In particular, I was always on the lookout for audio resources, like lectures and audiobooks. Perhaps it is not for everyone, but I personally like to diversify my methods of study: for example, I will read…
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Transcendental Idealism: the guardian of natural realism
In a previous post, I argued that Edmund Husserl does not hold to any form of traditional idealism. On the contrary, I suggested that Husserl’s position is in some ways closer to epistemological realism. So, this naturally raises the question: If Husserl subscribes to some kind of realism, why then does he explicitly and persistently…
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Book Review: Introduction to Phenomenology
Robert Sokolowski’s Introduction to Phenomenology was one of the first books on Husserlian Phenomenology that I read, after I was introduced to Husserl several years ago. At the time, although I had been studying philosophy for quite a while, I was unfamiliar with Husserl’s terminology and principles. After all, as anyone who has read his…
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Immanence and Transcendence: consciousness and world
In my last post, I examined Husserl’s understanding of the phenomenological reduction. I ended by stating that for Husserl, the reduction is the “bracketing” or “disconnecting” of all transcendent objectivities. In this post, then, I will discuss what transcendence and immanence mean in Husserlian phenomenology. For Husserl, “immanence” refers to that which is really contained…
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The Phenomenological Reduction: rising above the world
Over my last few posts, I have outlined various aspects of Husserlian phenomenology, including the descriptive method, the meaning of essences, and the natural attitude. In this post, I will describe Husserl’s conception of the phenomenological reduction. As I have explained previously, Husserl argues that we cannot philosophize within the natural attitude without serious problems,…
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Can we see essences? Immanuel Kant and Edmund Husserl
My last post discussed Husserl’s understanding of essences and eidetic intuition. In this post, I am going to examine an important consequence of this. Specifically, Husserl’s view of eidetic intuition reveals a fundamental difference between Husserl and Immanuel Kant. Kant maintains that intuition is only and always either of sensible individuals or of the forms…