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Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides For The Perplexed)

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The name Edmund Husserl remains somewhat obscure in the Britsh-American Analytic philosophic tradition, but on the Continent he's a celebrated pioneer. His thought outright rejects the skeptical "mind as a closed cabinet" notion prevalent since the 17th century in the work of Descartes, Locke, and others (and continues, in the Analytic tradition, in various forms down to the present day). Consequently, for many across the pond, 20th century German philosophy ends with Gottlieb Frege. The reason for such dismissal comes down to one word, invented by Husserl: phenomenology. This bloated word had colossal influence on 20th century Continental philosophy. Husserl paved the way and the likes of Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Ricoeur, and others followed dancing their own variations on this dominant motif. Phenomenology removes consciousness from the camera obscura closet and places it squarely in the world. It plugs us in. This seemingly simple idea has drastic implications, one of which is obscurity. As this new "science" dove into new realms, language met its limits and research exposed concepts for which no terms yet existed. This helps explain the impenetrable perplexity that greets many newcomers to phenomenology: the field requires a new and more flexible vocabulary. As such, no one should simply plunge their brains into Husserl's turgid dense prose without some guidance. Between the chartreuse-themed covers of this deceptively small book such guidance awaits.

Given the brain grinding density of this "introductory" text, absolute newcomers should probably look elsewhere, but nonetheless plan to return later to granularize their phenomenological knowledge. This one gets fairly nitty-gritty and may soil hands. This rings especially true for the first part of this two-part book, called "The Idea of Phenomenology: Psychology, Logic, and Transcendental Philosophy." Following a smooth sail explaining Husserl's critique of psychologism (the idea that psychology founds the laws of logic), the text drills deep into "eidetic sciences" and their relation to, and founding of, "natural or a posteriori sciences." As the discussion turns to ontology, "regional essences," eidetic singularities, and the "ur-region," the text takes on dense conceptual weight. Sometimes the effort equates to climbing a skyscraper made of pudding. But fervent reading will pay off as a whole new conception of the world unfolds. Things lighten up as the "transcendental reduction" appears on the horizon. This involves an "ironic distancing" from our everyday conceptions of the world so we can investigate it without the "natural attitude" interfering. A description Husserl's thought experiment called "the annihilation of the world" helps elucidate this crucial idea. A last notion of transcendental subjectivity as absolute substance provides a perfect segueway to the book's second part: "Phenomenological Topics." This section, though still challenging, doesn't hurt like part one. A litany of basic phenomenological terms and concepts unfolds: intentionality, intuition, evidence, categorial intuition, time-consciousness, the ego, and intersubjectivity. All receive detailed explanation and elucidation. Husserl's depth, influence, and radical stance towards the world becomes indubitably evident by book's end. His ideas penetrate like magma through a slushy. The final chapter outlines Husserl's "crisis of the sciences," or their separation from direct reality or "the lifeworld." In other words, as the sciences increase in abstraction they tend to lose their function as meaningful social practices. "Mathematization" or "idealization" of the world makes the world more convenient for scientific investigation, but ultimately limits its use-value. Husserl's proposed cure for "the crisis" involves an archaeology (an almost Foucaultian one) to recover the origins of scientific inquiry within the lifeworld (essentially, the world, full of useful objects, in which we exist as subjects and seekers).

The book's brief, almost non-existent, conclusion claims that finishing this book aptly prepares the adventurous for Husserl's primary works. Given the intense mental acrobatics required to navigate this innocent looking block of paper, that claim seems credible. But whether one delves into Husserl's texts or not, this book delivers what it promises: a comprehensible overview of one of the twentieth-century's most innovative thinkers. Though daunting, the effort pays off, and those who persevere will come out the other end smelling nicer than they went in. Husserl expands thought, regardless of the controversies, particularly those from the Analytic school, surrounding his conclusions and methods. Not only that, anyone wanting to appreciate the roots of 20th century Continental philosophy should have more than a casual acquaintance with Husserl's thought. "Husserl: A Guide For the Perplexed" will provide an intricate understanding of a unique and original thinker. Sharpen those neurons.