Tag: a priori vs a posteriori
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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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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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Is Husserl a Traditional Idealist?
In my last post, I gave a brief introduction the realism vs. idealism debate. In this post, I wish to give a preliminary answer to the question: is Husserl a realist or an idealist? As I mentioned previously, some of Husserl’s students and contemporaries took him to be an “idealist” in the traditional sense of…
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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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What is the Natural Attitude?
It is impossible to understand Husserlian phenomenology without understanding Husserl’s conception of the natural attitude. In this post, then, I will describe what Husserl means by the “natural attitude” and also outline the consequences of attempting to do philosophy from the natural standpoint. Stated briefly, the natural attitude is, for Husserl, simply the general positing…
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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…
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Essences and Imaginative Free Variation
In my last post, I outlined the meaning of phenomenology for Husserl. Specifically, I focused on the nature of phenomenology as a descriptive science of consciousness. Husserl argues that phenomenological description is possible as a foundational philosophical method primarily because of the capacity to have direct insights into essences. What are essences? Husserl maintains that…
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My journey into the world of the transcendental
[This is a rather long post, and it may be somewhat obscure to those unfamiliar with Husserlian phenomenology. I apologize for any obscurity, and I promise to elucidate more fully in the future the many topics touched on here.] I started reading Edmund Husserl’s texts seriously several years ago when I was in the middle…