History of the Lifeworld

Abstract

Phenomenology is often criticized by poststructuralists1 and others for its ahistoricaJ approach, aiming to arrive at a priori structures of consciousness and world without situating them in a specific context. In this essay I will examine way in which HusserUan phenomenology treats question of concrete historical changes in thinking and perception, focusing on Ufeworld as a solution to crisis of modern culture. I will argue that Husserl does seem to integrate his own historical findings in phenomenological structure of Ufeworld. However, such integration is possible if we apply MerleauPonty 's concept of radical reflection as an analysis of past which is at same time a creation of present and future. The Crisis of Sciences and Crisis of Humanity The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology, whose first two parts were pubhshed by Husserl in 1936, announces, as indicates its title, a crisis.2 But although we would expect crisis to concern sciences alone, we soon learn that its extent is much broader, affecting European humanity as a whole.3 Husserl retraces history of crisis, starting with wiU of European culture during Renaissance to change its form of existence, aiming at an which would be, as in ancient times, philosophical. Living philosophically consists, says Husserl, in freely giving oneself, one's whole Ufe, its rule through pure reason or through (CES 8). Renaissance society wanted to create for itself a new foundation which would be reason, leaning on philosophy as a activity of observation and reflection, unfettered by myth and whole tradition (ibid.). Moreover, it was only a matter of and scientific aspect of life, since theoretical is followed by practical autonomy (ibid.). This means not only that man should be changed ethically [but that] whole human surrounding world (Umwelt), poUtical and social of mankind, must be fashioned anew through free reason, through insights of a universal (ibid.). However, continues Husserl, this ideal of Renaissance, or more accurately of EnUghtenment, led quickly to a major disappointment due to ever growing gap between successes of positive sciences on one hand and failure to create a sustainable metaphysics on other hand. This failure, which partly remained unexplained, entailed coUapse of belief in 'reason' (CES 12), the collapse of beUef in a universal philosophy as guide for new man, and finaUy collapse of the faith in meaning of history, of humanity, faith in man's freedom, that is, his capacity to secure rational meaning for his individual and common human existence (CES 13). Husserl claims that history of philosophy has therefore become history of struggle for meaning of existence, struggle of humanity for its selfunderstanding. The task of philosophy prescribed by Husserl is no less than reestabUshment of meaning of and meaning of humanity. But in order to achieve this task we need first to understand reasons and origins of crisis, which Husserl tries to capture by criticizing naivete of modern rationalism. The latter, aiming at a totally new beginning, has pretended to found everything upon reason alone. Consequently it has seen itself as a primary establishment or foundation, an Urstiftung, but has forgotten or lost its roots, that is its own foundation and ground. The HusserUan enterprise in its final period consisted in finding this forgotten foundation as a condition of living a meaningful Ufe. Philosophy should no longer be considered as a theoretical, sterile, and immobile reflection. From now on it has task of accompanying human being and supporting him or her in me perpetual struggle for finding and founding meaning. …