Understanding Phenomenology (Understanding Movements in Modern Thought)

Understanding Phenomenology provides a guide to one of the most important schools of thought in modern philosophy. The book traces phenomenology's historical development, beginning with its founder, Edmund Husserl and his "pure" or "transcendental" phenomenology, and continuing with the later, "existential" phenomenology of Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. The book also assesses later, critical responses to phenomenology - from Derrida to Dennett - as well as the continued significance of phenomenology for philosophy today. Written for anyone coming to phenomenology for the first time, the book guides the reader through the often bewildering array of technical concepts and jargon associated with phenomenology and provides clear explanations and helpful examples to encourage and enhance engagement with the primary texts. Understanding Phenomenology traces phenomenology's historical development, beginning with its founder, Edmund Husserl, and his "pure" or "transcendental" phenomenology and continuing with the later, "existential" phenomenology of Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty. The book also assesses critical responses to phenomenology by philosophers ranging from Derrida to Dennett as well as the continued significance of phenomenology for philosophy today. Written for those encountering phenomenology for the first time, the book guides the reader through the often bewildering array of technical concepts and jargon, and provides clear explanations and helpful examples to encourage and enhance engagement with the primary texts. Understanding Phenomenology provides a concise and accessible guide to one of the most important schools of thought in modern philosophy. The book traces phenomenology's historical development, beginning with its founder, Edmund Husserl, and continuing with the later, "existential" phenomenology of Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty. Each chapter provides a masterly distillation of each philosopher's refinements to the movement's core ideas and provides readers with a clear picture of how phenomenology moved from primarily a theory of knowledge to a new philosophical method Cover......Page 1 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 10 Introduction: Opening exercises......Page 12 1. Husserl and the project of pure phenomenology......Page 22 2. Heidegger and the existential turn......Page 50 3. Sartre and subjectivity......Page 79 4. Merleau-Ponty and the phenomenology of embodiment......Page 107 5. Problems and prospects: phenomenology and its critics......Page 145 Questions for discussion and revision......Page 188 Further reading......Page 192 References......Page 196 Index......Page 198 Written for those coming to phenomenology for the first time, Understanding Phenomenology guides the reader through the often bewildering array of technical concepts and jargon, and provides clear explanations and helpful examples to encourage and enhance engagement with the primary texts. It is ideally suited for courses in twentieth-century continental philosophy and for the non-specialist looking for an authoritative overview Each chapter provides an expert distillation of each philosopher's refinements to the movement's core ideas and provides readers with a clear picture of how phenomenology moved from primarily a theory of knowledge to a new philosophical method. The final chapter assesses later, critical responses to phenomemology - ranging from Derrida to Dennett - and reflects on the continued significance of phenomenology for philosophy today Understanding Phenomenology provides a concise and accessible guide to one of the most important schools of thought in modern philosophy. The book traces phenomenology's historical development, beginning with its founder, Edmund Husserl and his "pure" or "transcendental" phenomenology, and continuing with the later, "existential" phenomenology of Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty Provides a guide to one of the most important schools of thought in modern philosophy. This book traces phenomenology's historical development, and assesses critical responses to phenomenology. It guides the reader through the array of technical conceptsand jargon associated with phenomenology An unrivalled introduction to one of the most important modern schools of philosophy.