Defending Husserlian Phenomenology from Terry Eagleton’s Critique

Bailan Qin

doi:10.4236/als.2013.12003

Abstract

This article develops, illustrates, and defends Husserlian Phenomenology from a critique in Terry Eagleton’s Literary Theory: An Introduction second edition (1996). Husserlian Phenomenology is construed as a methodology of philosophical hunt for certainty and universal essences by pure perception through“phenomenological reduction”. Eagleton’s charge that Husserlian Phenomenology is a form of methodological idealism necessarily committed to a science of subjectivity and an imaginary solution to the world that leads to the sacrifice of human history. But Husserlian phenomenology insists that meaningful and potentially efficacious certainty must be connected to relevant entity and consciousness internal to the culture or social order at which the criticism is directed. Thus, to our defense, the complaint that phenomenological demand will likely limit actual historical backgroundwherecriticism is denied, and the ability of Husserlian Phenomenology to develop from pure phenomenon to unphenomenological thinking is defended and demonstrated.

Highlights

Bailan QinThis article develops, illustrates, and defends Husserlian Phenomenology from a critique in Terry Eagleton’s Literary Theory: An Introduction second edition (1996)
Terry Eagleton is perhaps the most influential British literary theorist of the living literary critics
For over 30 years he has unveiled a steady stream of publications developing his particular take on social or historical theory that was informed by works of Marxists, as well as his mentor Raymond Williams who was a left-wing literary critic at Cambridge

Summary

Bailan Qin

This article develops, illustrates, and defends Husserlian Phenomenology from a critique in Terry Eagleton’s Literary Theory: An Introduction second edition (1996). Husserlian Phenomenology is construed as a methodology of philosophical hunt for certainty and universal essences by pure perception through “phenomenological reduction”. Eagleton’s charge that Husserlian Phenomenology is a form of methodological idealism necessarily committed to a science of subjectivity and an imaginary solution to the world that leads to the sacrifice of human history. Husserlian phenomenology insists that meaningful and potentially efficacious certainty must be connected to relevant entity and consciousness internal to the culture or social order at which the criticism is directed. To our defense, the complaint that phenomenological demand will likely limit actual historical background where criticism is denied, and the ability of Husserlian Phenomenology to develop from pure phenomenon to unphenomenological thinking is defended and demonstrated

Introduction

Essence of Phenomenology

Defending Husserlian Phenomenology

Conclusion