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Introduction to Phenomenology
Introduction to Phenomenology is an outstanding and comprehensive guide to phenomenology. Dermot Moran lucidly examines the contributions of phenomenology's nine seminal thinkers: Brentano, Husserl, Heidegger, Gadamer, Arendt, Levinas, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and Derrida.
Written in a clear and engaging style, Introduction to Phenomenology charts the course of the phenomenological movement from its origins in Husserl to its transformation by Derrida. It describes the thought of Heidegger and Sartre, phenomonology's most famous thinkers, and introduces and assesses the distinctive use of phenomonology by some of its lesser known exponents, such as Levinas, Arendt and Gadamer. Throughout the book, the enormous influence of phenomenology on the course of twentieth-century philosophy is thoroughly explored.
This is an indispensible introduction for all unfamiliar with this much talked about but little understood school of thought. Technical terms are explained throughout and jargon is avoided. Introduction to Phenomenology will be of interest to all students seeking a reliable introduction to a key movement in European thought.
Written in a clear and engaging style, Introduction to Phenomenology charts the course of the phenomenological movement from its origins in Husserl to its transformation by Derrida. It describes the thought of Heidegger and Sartre, phenomonology's most famous thinkers, and introduces and assesses the distinctive use of phenomonology by some of its lesser known exponents, such as Levinas, Arendt and Gadamer. Throughout the book, the enormous influence of phenomenology on the course of twentieth-century philosophy is thoroughly explored.
This is an indispensible introduction for all unfamiliar with this much talked about but little understood school of thought. Technical terms are explained throughout and jargon is avoided. Introduction to Phenomenology will be of interest to all students seeking a reliable introduction to a key movement in European thought.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Dermot Moran
40books13followersDermot Moran is currently the inaugural holder of the Joseph Chair in Catholic Philosophy at Boston College and he also served as Chair of the Philosophy Department until June 2023. Previously, he held the full Professorship of Philosophy (Chair of Metaphysics and Logic) at University College Dublin, from 1989 to his retirement. At its General Assembly in Athens, Greece, on 9th August 2013, Professor Dermot Moran was elected President of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies/ Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie (FISP), for a five-year period from 2013 to 2018. As President of FISP, he also presided over the 24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing, China, 13-20 August 2018. He is now Past President of FISP (2018 to 2024) involved in organizing the 25th World Congress of Philosophy, Rome, Italy, 1-8 August 2024.
In 2003 Dermot Moran was elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy and in 2016 he was elected to the Institut International de Philosophie. Professor Moran was awarded the Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal in the Humanities in 2012. He was awarded the higher doctorate, DLitt Degree, on the basis of published works by the National University of Ireland in 2013.
He previously lectured in the Department of Scholastic Philosophy at Queen’s University Belfast (1979-1982) and in the Department of Philosophy at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth (1982-1989), then a Recognized College of the National University of Ireland, and now Maynooth University. He has held Visiting Professorships in the USA, including at Yale University (1986-1987), Connecticut College (1992-1993), Rice University (Fall 2003 and Spring 2006), Northwestern University (2007), and internationally the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Summer 2010). He was Gadamer Visiting Professor at Boston College (Spring 2015). He also served as Walter Murdoch Adjunct Professor in the Humanities, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia (2012-2015).
Dermot Moran was Director of the International Centre of Newman Studies in UCD promoting the legacy of John Henry Cardinal Newman, first Rector of the Catholic University, Dublin, 1954-1858. He is now Chairperson of the Board of the UCD Newman Centre for the Study of Religions.
Dermot Moran was an elected member of the Executive of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (2013-2016).
On 26 October 2015 Professor Dermot Moran was awarded an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Philosophy by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens “for his contribution to the promotion of Philosophy in general and with regard to his field of research in particular�. In December 2016, he was awarded an Honorary Professorship in the Department of Philosophy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. He was awarded an Honorary Professorship, School of Philosophy, Nankai University, Tienjen, People’s Republic of China. 17 October 2019; and Honorary Professorship, Philosophy, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China. July 2019.
In 2003 Dermot Moran was elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy and in 2016 he was elected to the Institut International de Philosophie. Professor Moran was awarded the Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal in the Humanities in 2012. He was awarded the higher doctorate, DLitt Degree, on the basis of published works by the National University of Ireland in 2013.
He previously lectured in the Department of Scholastic Philosophy at Queen’s University Belfast (1979-1982) and in the Department of Philosophy at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth (1982-1989), then a Recognized College of the National University of Ireland, and now Maynooth University. He has held Visiting Professorships in the USA, including at Yale University (1986-1987), Connecticut College (1992-1993), Rice University (Fall 2003 and Spring 2006), Northwestern University (2007), and internationally the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Summer 2010). He was Gadamer Visiting Professor at Boston College (Spring 2015). He also served as Walter Murdoch Adjunct Professor in the Humanities, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia (2012-2015).
Dermot Moran was Director of the International Centre of Newman Studies in UCD promoting the legacy of John Henry Cardinal Newman, first Rector of the Catholic University, Dublin, 1954-1858. He is now Chairperson of the Board of the UCD Newman Centre for the Study of Religions.
Dermot Moran was an elected member of the Executive of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (2013-2016).
On 26 October 2015 Professor Dermot Moran was awarded an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Philosophy by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens “for his contribution to the promotion of Philosophy in general and with regard to his field of research in particular�. In December 2016, he was awarded an Honorary Professorship in the Department of Philosophy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. He was awarded an Honorary Professorship, School of Philosophy, Nankai University, Tienjen, People’s Republic of China. 17 October 2019; and Honorary Professorship, Philosophy, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China. July 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Shelved as 'reference'
May 21, 2017This is an excellent introduction to phenomenological thought through an explication of its major proponents from Husserl's predecessor Brentano down to Levinas and Derrida. In addition to the companion volume I'd like to recommend also Sokolowski's which is a methodological introduction to phenomenology and is quite accessible.
February 10, 2023
.??? 2000s: looking way back, decided to up the rating: after all, this inspired me to read an entire canon, a sort I still enjoy, of heidegger, husserl, sartre, merleau-ponty, de beauvoir... and has set me up to investigate other sorts, such as bergson, deleuze, such as the indian philosophers i read now. hard to remember a time before reading this. great intro, can read concurrently with ...
June 1, 2020
good book
Still don't understand Levinas
Probs never will
Still don't understand Levinas
Probs never will
February 8, 2016
This is a well structured and consicse introduction to the history of Phenomenology. The book looks at all the major figures from Brentanno to Derrida giving a history of the thinker and an overview of their thought as well as the influences the thinker has had in contemporary philosophy. A must for anyone looking to learn more about the Phenomenological tradition.
June 10, 2024
Dermot Moran’s comprehensive guide to the major ideas and thinkers within phenomenology.
Moran traces the history and evolution of phenomenology via chapter length biographical vignettes of the some of the key contributors to the field, as well as summaries of their most important contributions. These include:
Edmund Husserl:
Considered the founder of phenomenology. Husserl introduced many of the movement's key concepts, such as the phenomenological epoché [the technique of bracketing the natural world] and the concept of lifeworld (Lebenswelt).
Martin Heidegger:
A student of Husserl, Heidegger expanded phenomenology into existential and ontological inquiries, emphasizing the question of being (Sein) and being-in-the-world (Dasein).
Maurice Merleau-Ponty:
Known for his work on embodiment, Merleau-Ponty emphasized the role of the body/senses in shaping our experience/perception of the world.
Hannah Arendt:
Known for her works on the human condition, the banality of evil and the origins of totalitarianism. Arendt focused of the important role of work and community in the human essence.
Jean-Paul Sartre:
Sartre integrated phenomenology with existentialism, exploring themes like freedom, bad faith, and the nature of the self.
Emmanuel Levinas:
Levinas introduced an ethical dimension to phenomenology, focusing on the face-to-face encounter and theethical responsibility to the other.
This is a ROCK SOLID, super thorough and very accessible read. It’s a GREAT introductory text for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the of the BIG PLAYERS and the BIG IDEAS in the complex (often opaque/impenetrable) world of phenomenological philosophy. LOVED IT 😍
5/5 ⭐️‼️
Moran traces the history and evolution of phenomenology via chapter length biographical vignettes of the some of the key contributors to the field, as well as summaries of their most important contributions. These include:
Edmund Husserl:
Considered the founder of phenomenology. Husserl introduced many of the movement's key concepts, such as the phenomenological epoché [the technique of bracketing the natural world] and the concept of lifeworld (Lebenswelt).
Martin Heidegger:
A student of Husserl, Heidegger expanded phenomenology into existential and ontological inquiries, emphasizing the question of being (Sein) and being-in-the-world (Dasein).
Maurice Merleau-Ponty:
Known for his work on embodiment, Merleau-Ponty emphasized the role of the body/senses in shaping our experience/perception of the world.
Hannah Arendt:
Known for her works on the human condition, the banality of evil and the origins of totalitarianism. Arendt focused of the important role of work and community in the human essence.
Jean-Paul Sartre:
Sartre integrated phenomenology with existentialism, exploring themes like freedom, bad faith, and the nature of the self.
Emmanuel Levinas:
Levinas introduced an ethical dimension to phenomenology, focusing on the face-to-face encounter and theethical responsibility to the other.
This is a ROCK SOLID, super thorough and very accessible read. It’s a GREAT introductory text for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the of the BIG PLAYERS and the BIG IDEAS in the complex (often opaque/impenetrable) world of phenomenological philosophy. LOVED IT 😍
5/5 ⭐️‼️
October 10, 2012
This is a great introduction into one of the more difficult philosophical traditions to understand. Moran takes the reader through the history, starting with proto-phenomenology in Brentano, through to Derrida. Moran explains the difficult and dense subject matters with amazing lucidity, and does not get bogged down with extensive terminology. Would like to see a second volume exploring French phenomenology after Derrida, particularly the theological turn. But this was a fantastic one volume overview
December 20, 2018
I thought this was an excellent, meaty overview of phenomenology from Brentano and Husserl through to Derrida as he moved beyond phenomenology, rejecting some of its central presuppositions. Moran manages to pack in a great deal of contextual information about each thinker, their relation to each other, and their overall reception by philosophy as a whole, all the while providing an admirably detailed and clear overview of the central phenomenological concepts and insights each thinker puts forward.
More than just descriptive, Moran also puts forward his own reasonable (or so they seemed to me) criticisms of each thinker. He does, however, struggle in places to get across what it is that some thinkers were trying to do or say, notably with Levinas. This actually ends up being quite amusing when you sense Moran becoming frustrated with trying to make sense of whatever Levinas is trying to say--resulting in Moran yielding that 'beyond reiterating Levinas's own pronouncements, I am afraid I am unable to shed further light on this obscure notion' after brawling with the concept of 'trace' (p.332).
This aside, I found Moran to be a clear, witty, and insightful guide to some of phenomenology's major thinkers. Highly recommended for newbies like me, especially if coupled with Robert Sokolwoski's very different 'Introduction to Phenomenology'. In fact, Moran's guide is extremely useful for adding giving the reader a bit of critical distance from Sokolowski's text (lacking simply because Sokolowski's is more practical in intention). Something I believe Sokolowski would see as a welcome accompaniment.
More than just descriptive, Moran also puts forward his own reasonable (or so they seemed to me) criticisms of each thinker. He does, however, struggle in places to get across what it is that some thinkers were trying to do or say, notably with Levinas. This actually ends up being quite amusing when you sense Moran becoming frustrated with trying to make sense of whatever Levinas is trying to say--resulting in Moran yielding that 'beyond reiterating Levinas's own pronouncements, I am afraid I am unable to shed further light on this obscure notion' after brawling with the concept of 'trace' (p.332).
This aside, I found Moran to be a clear, witty, and insightful guide to some of phenomenology's major thinkers. Highly recommended for newbies like me, especially if coupled with Robert Sokolwoski's very different 'Introduction to Phenomenology'. In fact, Moran's guide is extremely useful for adding giving the reader a bit of critical distance from Sokolowski's text (lacking simply because Sokolowski's is more practical in intention). Something I believe Sokolowski would see as a welcome accompaniment.
April 27, 2014
I have never read anything focused in Phenomenology. This is the first book I tried. Though This book encloses rich material, but I dont seem to be able to fully understand what it is really discussing. It is true that I blame myself and not the author since I know barely anything about Phenomenology, so this book is more adapted to someone who was already introduced to it. I've also noticed that it's based more on summarising ideas rather than analysing them. For instance, the relation of Phenomenology to Hermeneutics was quickly investigated, and what we got was a summary of philosophers' whose second concern is phenomenology (such as Gadamer, Heidegger). It is true that we need to have an idea about what their main concerns are, but it gets confusing now and then. I still give this book 4 stars because it provided me with MANY references which I could use for further investigation.
September 21, 2019
In my opinion, this volume is the best single introduction to phenomenology, surpassing even the classic text of Robert Sokolowski. Most helpfully, Moran understands the relationship between phenomenology and hermeneutics to be symbiotic and inevitably interdependent. This perspective allows him to emphasize the major philosophical insights of various thinkers rather than merely reducing phenomenology to a quasi-analytic epistemology (a danger, which in my view, far too many contemporary scholars of phenomenology seem to fall victim).
Fascinatingly, Moran begins with an exploration of the work of Franz Brentano and his method of "descriptive psychology" as a key influence on the development of phenomenology and directly shaped the work of both Husserl and Heidegger. Moran then offers a highly readable and exploration of Husserl's "rigorous science" and its applications without being ensnared in the semantic complexities which (at least in my opinion) tends to weigh down a lot of Husserl scholarship. This volume offers a systematic treatment of the main features of Husserl's oeuvre, beginning with his early examinations of cognition represented in the "Logical Investigations," before moving onto the more formal methodological structures outlines in "Ideas" and the "Cartesian Meditations." Moran also gives a very helpful consideration of the broader context and underlying concerns which shaped Husserl's phenomenology by treating his "Crisis of the European Sciences."
In addition to this remarkably detailed treatment of Husserl, Moran treats the reception of phenomenology in subsequent thinkers with a comparable degree of detail. Sustained attention is given to the early Heidegger and his subsequent radical transformation of phenomenology in "Being & Time." Moran also treats the turn to hermeneutics represented by the work of Gadamer, the political conception of phenomenology in Arendt, and the richly literary phenomenology of Sartre. Ambitiously, Moran also includes lengthy (and successfully representative) summaries of the contributions of both Levinas and Merleau-Ponty both of whom radically expand the scope (and in crucial ways, alter the fundamental concerns) of the phenomenological enterprise. The Book concludes with a treatment of Derrida's deconstructive philosophy in relation to the task of phenomenology.
Fascinatingly, Moran begins with an exploration of the work of Franz Brentano and his method of "descriptive psychology" as a key influence on the development of phenomenology and directly shaped the work of both Husserl and Heidegger. Moran then offers a highly readable and exploration of Husserl's "rigorous science" and its applications without being ensnared in the semantic complexities which (at least in my opinion) tends to weigh down a lot of Husserl scholarship. This volume offers a systematic treatment of the main features of Husserl's oeuvre, beginning with his early examinations of cognition represented in the "Logical Investigations," before moving onto the more formal methodological structures outlines in "Ideas" and the "Cartesian Meditations." Moran also gives a very helpful consideration of the broader context and underlying concerns which shaped Husserl's phenomenology by treating his "Crisis of the European Sciences."
In addition to this remarkably detailed treatment of Husserl, Moran treats the reception of phenomenology in subsequent thinkers with a comparable degree of detail. Sustained attention is given to the early Heidegger and his subsequent radical transformation of phenomenology in "Being & Time." Moran also treats the turn to hermeneutics represented by the work of Gadamer, the political conception of phenomenology in Arendt, and the richly literary phenomenology of Sartre. Ambitiously, Moran also includes lengthy (and successfully representative) summaries of the contributions of both Levinas and Merleau-Ponty both of whom radically expand the scope (and in crucial ways, alter the fundamental concerns) of the phenomenological enterprise. The Book concludes with a treatment of Derrida's deconstructive philosophy in relation to the task of phenomenology.
September 14, 2018
Read: Heidegger, Sartre, and Derrida
Skimmed: Gadamer and Arendt
I thought the Heidegger section was an excellent introduction to Heidegger's Being and Time. Moran gives much needed attention to Heidegger's influences and an overview of his philosophical endeavor of understanding Being, Dasein, and Time. What I found most helpful with this introduction of Heidegger was seeing the relationship of all three themes coming together in Heidegger's work. By introducing me to the philosophy of Being and Time in such a concise and clear manner, Moran has made it possible for others to read Heidegger.
Skimmed: Gadamer and Arendt
I thought the Heidegger section was an excellent introduction to Heidegger's Being and Time. Moran gives much needed attention to Heidegger's influences and an overview of his philosophical endeavor of understanding Being, Dasein, and Time. What I found most helpful with this introduction of Heidegger was seeing the relationship of all three themes coming together in Heidegger's work. By introducing me to the philosophy of Being and Time in such a concise and clear manner, Moran has made it possible for others to read Heidegger.
June 27, 2012
Very substantial introduction to phenomenology. Highly academically written -- something that has to be read while in a thinking mode. Definitely not a bed book.
I appreciate so much it being loaded with information about the history of phenomenology dating back from the time of Husserl down to Monteau-Ponty. It is a big help for those who want to use this as a research design because phenomenology as design must first be understood as a philosophy.
I appreciate so much it being loaded with information about the history of phenomenology dating back from the time of Husserl down to Monteau-Ponty. It is a big help for those who want to use this as a research design because phenomenology as design must first be understood as a philosophy.
September 20, 2012
The best work on the subject of its kind. Required reading.
June 27, 2016
A very helpful and thorough introduction to the broad method known as phenomenology. What the reader will find out is that phenomenology is not a singular discipline with a concrete and rigid methodology. Each phenomenological thinker has their own goal, their own end, their own notions of cognition and experience and how we apprehend the world, and their own unique way of doing things. This book takes us through the path and evolution of phenomenology and its various forms. It begins with Bretano and moves through husserl and Heidegger, all the way to merleau-ponty and Arednt. I found this text very helpful when I was getting into Heidegger and during my Arednt phase. I also used it when I wrote my honours thesis on MP and Heidegger. And when I finally decide to get into Husserl, I'll use this book again. Highly recommended.
Want to read
March 1, 2014Great question. Thanks for asking. I'm in the process of reading it, so I can't give a definitive answer at the moment. So far I've learned that someone can restate philosophical ideas a lot better than I did and it can be helpful. My hope is that after reading this book I will not have to read any of the books mentioned in it.
I propose stretching the word introduction out to mean hung out at several parties and then decided that Phenomenology runs with too many Continentalists.
But like I said I'm not through the preface so.....
I propose stretching the word introduction out to mean hung out at several parties and then decided that Phenomenology runs with too many Continentalists.
But like I said I'm not through the preface so.....
March 25, 2019
This text was my initial attempt to understand phenomenology for the purposes of possibly starting qualitative research and understanding the complex writings of Husserl & Heidegger.
The first three chapters use concrete language to how the abstract phenomenology model of experience and observation could be used in practice.
I would recommend this text to someone with no background in phenomenology, like myself, who are curious as to phenomenology's meaning and use.
The first three chapters use concrete language to how the abstract phenomenology model of experience and observation could be used in practice.
I would recommend this text to someone with no background in phenomenology, like myself, who are curious as to phenomenology's meaning and use.
June 22, 2020
A good overview of phenomenology by an engaging scholar. The author seems strongest in discussing Husserl and Heidegger which are accorded more space, probably appropriately) and more critical of Derrida. But I am far from qualified to adjudicate the quality of philosophical reflections. Chapters include discussions of Brentano, Husserl (several), Heidegger (two), Gadamer, Arendt, Levinas, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and Derrida.
May 4, 2007
This, along with the reader, will be long-term reading projects. I hope to tackle a section a week, meaning that I probably won't finish them until the end of the summer.
February 23, 2015
One of the best introductions to phenomenology.
September 28, 2016
Good introduction to the topic despite the fact that sections of different chapters are sometimes a bit erratic.
July 8, 2021
The author initially promises to explain new concepts as they arise, and for the most part he does make good on his promise, but I find the focus is still very much on the philosophers and the relations between them and their approaches, and only en passant on the actual appeal of the ideas themselves. So I am often left wondering just what the big deal is about Being,différance, intersubjectivity etc., which blaze for an instant like flashy fireworks, but in all the biographical and historical haze they never seem to come together to form a coordinated display. So phenomenology is not so much a system as a practice, but a little more system in the description of that practice would be appreciated.
At best I find the ambitions of each philosopher are described from a distance, but I get little insight into what makes readers appreciate them and little in the way of examples of successful phenomenological description. Each chapter on a phenomenologist describes their mutual relations but then mostly tails off into their failures, lapses and personal shortcomings of which there are no few. All a bit off-putting really. Still, four stars for keeping me on the edge of my seat in anticipation of an aha, which turned out to be more of an uhuh.
Some notes and quotes:
Phenomenology paves the way for logic and other formal sciences, by elucidating the manner concepts are “constituted� in concrete experiences. This particular way of uniting the subjective and the objective is the essence of phenomenology.
[Husserl] appears to have been genuinely amazed by the richness of the phenomenological field he had uncovered.
The goal: apodictic self-evidence.
Phenomenology - a practice rather than a system.
Husserl saw phenomenology as a radicalization of empiricism.
Subjectivity must be understood as inextricably involved in the process of constituting objectivity.
Levinas and Sartre creatively misunderstood Husserl.
Symbiotic relationship between the act of perception and the environment of the perceiver.
Correspondence between the thing given and its self-givenness (Selbstgegebenheit)
Our mental acts are as they appear to be.
Objectivity was always a particular achievement of consciousness.
Objectivity as the achievement of intersubjective confirmation and acceptance
British empiricism, which Masaryk, following his mentor Brentano, considered an antidote to the otherworldliness of German speculative idealism
[Husserl’s demand] to overturn tradition and to return to the matters themselves struck a chord with a whole generation of philosophers.
[After WWI Husserl’s students] had a distinct sense of the failure of the project of rationalism.
Husserl saw the problem of the constitution of the ego as deeply related to the source of time consciousness.
Entirely nonsensical to conceive of the world as divided into two domains, a subjective and an objective domain, lying outside of each other.
We belong contingently and factually to an intersubjective world.
Heidegger: Die Sprache spricht
Das ding dingt. The essence of a thing is to thing.
Human being and Being are caught in an ontological revealing and concealing dynamic, which is at the very heart of what it means to be.
Revelation of Being takes place in (and also can be concealed by) language.
It is in words and language that things first come into being.
Die Sprache ist das Haus des Seins.
Withdrawing and appearing
Meister Eckhart’s notion of Gelassenheit - releasement or letting be
Letting be involves a kind of detachment and ‘releasement� which allows the essence of Being to shine through.
Letting what is to be seen show itself in the manner in which it shows itself.
Things themselves always present themselves in a manner which is at the same time self-concealing.
Gadamer: Language speaks man.
Both Gadamer and Wittgenstein see language as a rule-governed activity and hence one that is primarily intersubjective.
Levinas admired the way Heidegger was able to “educate our ears to hear Being in its verbal resonances.�
Sartre claims that consciousness is actually a kind of non-being which always seeks to become being.
To have is to refuse to be.
Freedom is a stance of consciousness, in fact the fundamental stance.
The essential thing is contingency. I mean that by definition, existence is not necessary.
You can never deduce it.
Human life begins on the far side of despair.
Merleau-Ponty wants always to emphasize the dialectical relation between subject and object.
Cézanne: Colour is the place where our brain and the universe meet.
Transcendental subjectivity can, as Husserl puts it, be an intersubjectivity.
We are condemned to meaning.
Derrida
Opposites contaminate each other.
Signs bring about what they announce
Trace: something absent that has never actually been present.
At best I find the ambitions of each philosopher are described from a distance, but I get little insight into what makes readers appreciate them and little in the way of examples of successful phenomenological description. Each chapter on a phenomenologist describes their mutual relations but then mostly tails off into their failures, lapses and personal shortcomings of which there are no few. All a bit off-putting really. Still, four stars for keeping me on the edge of my seat in anticipation of an aha, which turned out to be more of an uhuh.
Some notes and quotes:
Phenomenology paves the way for logic and other formal sciences, by elucidating the manner concepts are “constituted� in concrete experiences. This particular way of uniting the subjective and the objective is the essence of phenomenology.
[Husserl] appears to have been genuinely amazed by the richness of the phenomenological field he had uncovered.
The goal: apodictic self-evidence.
Phenomenology - a practice rather than a system.
Husserl saw phenomenology as a radicalization of empiricism.
Subjectivity must be understood as inextricably involved in the process of constituting objectivity.
Levinas and Sartre creatively misunderstood Husserl.
Symbiotic relationship between the act of perception and the environment of the perceiver.
Correspondence between the thing given and its self-givenness (Selbstgegebenheit)
Our mental acts are as they appear to be.
Objectivity was always a particular achievement of consciousness.
Objectivity as the achievement of intersubjective confirmation and acceptance
British empiricism, which Masaryk, following his mentor Brentano, considered an antidote to the otherworldliness of German speculative idealism
[Husserl’s demand] to overturn tradition and to return to the matters themselves struck a chord with a whole generation of philosophers.
[After WWI Husserl’s students] had a distinct sense of the failure of the project of rationalism.
Husserl saw the problem of the constitution of the ego as deeply related to the source of time consciousness.
Entirely nonsensical to conceive of the world as divided into two domains, a subjective and an objective domain, lying outside of each other.
We belong contingently and factually to an intersubjective world.
Heidegger: Die Sprache spricht
Das ding dingt. The essence of a thing is to thing.
Human being and Being are caught in an ontological revealing and concealing dynamic, which is at the very heart of what it means to be.
Revelation of Being takes place in (and also can be concealed by) language.
It is in words and language that things first come into being.
Die Sprache ist das Haus des Seins.
Withdrawing and appearing
Meister Eckhart’s notion of Gelassenheit - releasement or letting be
Letting be involves a kind of detachment and ‘releasement� which allows the essence of Being to shine through.
Letting what is to be seen show itself in the manner in which it shows itself.
Things themselves always present themselves in a manner which is at the same time self-concealing.
Gadamer: Language speaks man.
Both Gadamer and Wittgenstein see language as a rule-governed activity and hence one that is primarily intersubjective.
Levinas admired the way Heidegger was able to “educate our ears to hear Being in its verbal resonances.�
Sartre claims that consciousness is actually a kind of non-being which always seeks to become being.
To have is to refuse to be.
Freedom is a stance of consciousness, in fact the fundamental stance.
The essential thing is contingency. I mean that by definition, existence is not necessary.
You can never deduce it.
Human life begins on the far side of despair.
Merleau-Ponty wants always to emphasize the dialectical relation between subject and object.
Cézanne: Colour is the place where our brain and the universe meet.
Transcendental subjectivity can, as Husserl puts it, be an intersubjectivity.
We are condemned to meaning.
Derrida
Opposites contaminate each other.
Signs bring about what they announce
Trace: something absent that has never actually been present.
Read
August 10, 2023As an exposition of the main phenomenologists' perspectives, Moran's book certainly introduces the reader into the world of the philosophical current and as such meets its goal. The author's expertise is evident and the text is mostly very well thought out, with consequent divisions in each chapter that help alleviate the strain of thought and the inclusion of certain philosophical/biographical facts that allow one to feel a certain thread connecting the different intellectuals presented all along the book.
I do think that it would have been quite fruitful to briefly explain how each philosopher's thought is phenomenological, because this is not clear on occasions, especially in Hannah Arendt's case. It may sometimes seem like a deep dive into a philosophical notion or problem without really knowing how any of it is phenomenological. A possible reason for this is that the chapters dedicated to Husserl are quite messy, something perfectly understandable due to how broad his position is as the foundation of phenomenology, but still the feeling that Moran could have offered these contents with some more systematic intentions lingers, and if the reader's base for an understanding of phenomenology depends on this then it will still be obscure. In the chapter dedicated to Derrida, the problem is the opposite: to sum up his output in 40 pages is not only hard but flat out impossible, and, considering that Moran himself asserts that Derrida "led to the collapse of phenomenology as a method", dedicating more pages to him was necessary. No conclusions are drawn in relation to the previous quote; or in general, for that matter. Also, to summarize Heidegger's influence on Derrida's thought in one page makes it seem trivial at best.
As a whole —exluding the treatment of Husserl�, I'd say the book would have benefited from more extension. Derrida and the apparent downfall of phenomenology needed to be layed out with more extension. And the omission of Ricoeur is a small blemish for me, especially consdering that Gadamer's thought along with hermeneutics in general were superbly disclosed; it would have been a good opportunity to seize and explain Ricoeur's thought in a transparent context.
Still a very recommendable read for anyone interested in phenomenology.
I do think that it would have been quite fruitful to briefly explain how each philosopher's thought is phenomenological, because this is not clear on occasions, especially in Hannah Arendt's case. It may sometimes seem like a deep dive into a philosophical notion or problem without really knowing how any of it is phenomenological. A possible reason for this is that the chapters dedicated to Husserl are quite messy, something perfectly understandable due to how broad his position is as the foundation of phenomenology, but still the feeling that Moran could have offered these contents with some more systematic intentions lingers, and if the reader's base for an understanding of phenomenology depends on this then it will still be obscure. In the chapter dedicated to Derrida, the problem is the opposite: to sum up his output in 40 pages is not only hard but flat out impossible, and, considering that Moran himself asserts that Derrida "led to the collapse of phenomenology as a method", dedicating more pages to him was necessary. No conclusions are drawn in relation to the previous quote; or in general, for that matter. Also, to summarize Heidegger's influence on Derrida's thought in one page makes it seem trivial at best.
As a whole —exluding the treatment of Husserl�, I'd say the book would have benefited from more extension. Derrida and the apparent downfall of phenomenology needed to be layed out with more extension. And the omission of Ricoeur is a small blemish for me, especially consdering that Gadamer's thought along with hermeneutics in general were superbly disclosed; it would have been a good opportunity to seize and explain Ricoeur's thought in a transparent context.
Still a very recommendable read for anyone interested in phenomenology.
September 16, 2021
Alright. Chapter on Heidegger is not too deep and I don't think Heidegger gets enough attention in general, especially given that Husserl gets three chapters while Levinas, Heidegger, Derrida, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty only get one a piece. Author seems to really dislike Sartre.
December 10, 2020
A well-written overview
This was long, but at least it was well-written and carefully thought out. Easier and more enlightening than reading the original sources.
This was long, but at least it was well-written and carefully thought out. Easier and more enlightening than reading the original sources.
July 28, 2023
Wonderful read and a good overview of the main thinkers and ideas of Phenomenology.
January 3, 2022
This was my first serious book on phenomenology, after having read some short texts on various philosophers like Brentano, Husserl, Heidegger mostly. I also have to point out I'm not a philosopher, so my interest in phenomenology is purely driven by curiosity and the desire to learn more about the human nature from various perspectives.
That being said, I found the book extremely well written and documented. I haven't felt overwhelmed by the details and I hence I think the author did a very good job on keeping the book digestible. It's got just the right amount of details and depth, both in what concerns the biographies, the most well-known opuses and ideas of philosophers as well as the interplay between them.
I do see myself coming back to it, as it's just very rich and can be used as a good reference for the main ideas of phenomenology, before deciding to go deeper with any one of the authors or ideas.
That being said, I found the book extremely well written and documented. I haven't felt overwhelmed by the details and I hence I think the author did a very good job on keeping the book digestible. It's got just the right amount of details and depth, both in what concerns the biographies, the most well-known opuses and ideas of philosophers as well as the interplay between them.
I do see myself coming back to it, as it's just very rich and can be used as a good reference for the main ideas of phenomenology, before deciding to go deeper with any one of the authors or ideas.
January 21, 2025
4.5
Essential for those of us who don't yet grasp phenomenology.
Essential for those of us who don't yet grasp phenomenology.
October 8, 2013
Good overview of the field of Phenomenology. I think I will have to read Heidegger's Being and Time now though...
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