The Basic Problems of Phenomenology

I. Historicalplaceandcontentofthistext Iso Kern, in the Editor’s Introduction of Husserliana Vol. XIII (pp. XXXIII–XL), shows us how important for Husserl were the lectures, of?cially titled, The Basic Problems of Phenomenology (1910–1911),alongwiththe1910PreparatoryNotes(givenhereas AppendixI). Kerndocumentshisclaimthat,apartfromvariousr- erencesinHusserl’spublishedworks,inhis Nachlass“heprobably referstonootherlecturesooftenasthisone. ”Hereferstoitbyvarious waysbesidesitsof?cialtitleas“LectureonIntersubjectivity,”“L- tureonEmpathyandExpandedReduction,”“OnthePhenomenol- ical Reduction and Transcendental Theory of Empathy,” or simply “Empathy. ”Althoughtheformulationsofthesethemeswereofde- siveimportanceforlaunchingthedirectionofHusserl’sre?ections, they are not treated in these lectures with the amplitude they ev- tuallyreceived. Kernreportsthatwhatisheretranslated(Number6 inHusserlianaXIII,alongwithrelatedappendices)doesnotgivein itsentiretythetwo-hourperweeklecturesheldduringthesemester, but only the ?rst part. After Christmas, Husserl began intensively preparingforPhilosophyasaRigorousSciencethatwaspublishedin Logosin1911. Thesecondpartofthecourse,thecontentsofwhich wedonotknow,tooktheformofclassdiscussions. ThisTranslators’ PrefacewillsupplementKern’sexcellentintroductoryremarks. Byreasonofitsscopeandsize,theselecturesareoneofthebest introductions to Husserl’s phenomenology. We must await the p- lication of all the Nachlass to decide which one of the many “- troductions”isthebestforbeginners. Husserlhimselfusedpartsof theselecturesforcoursesheentitledIntroductiontoPhenomenology. XIII XIV TRANSLATORS’PREFACE Here, in a brief space, the classical touchstones of Husserl’s p- losophy are presented, some for the very ?rst time: the eidetic and phenomenologicalanalysisandhoweideticanalysisisnotyetp- nomenological analysis; the natural attitude and the phenome- logicalattitude;thephenomenologicalreduction;theintersubjective reduction; the distinction between nature or being in itself and - ture or being displayed; empty and ?lled intentions; the interplay ofpresenceandabsence;theinterplayoftranscendenceandim- nence; manifestation through intentionality and the non-intentional pre-re?exive manifestation; the various senses of “I” depending on the position of the phenomenological observer; the “halo” or ho- zon of experience; world as the full concrete positivity of ex- rience; the incommensurability of the properties of mind and d- play with the properties of displayed physical objects; body-thing versuslivedbody;knowledgeofothermindsthroughempathy;the uniqueintentionalityofempathy;thephenomenologyofcommuni- tiveacts;temporalityandtime-consciousness;theconsciousnessof thetime-consciousnessofothers;universalmonadology;thenature oftranscendental-phenomenologicalphilosophyvis-a-vis ` scienceand otherformsofphilosophy,etc.