Who Is the Subject of Phenomenology? Husserl and Fink on the Transcendental Ego
Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology October 8, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1080/00071773.2018.1530135 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
The article addresses a longstanding puzzle in Husserlian phenomenology: the identity of the transcendental ego and its link to the empirical ego of the individual phenomenologist. Drawing on Husserl's writings and Eugen Fink's concept of a "personal union" between these two egos, the author develops an account that explains the transcendental ego as a mode of self-investigation. This interpretation, the author argues, preserves phenomenology's status as a transcendental discipline while deflecting common criticisms.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | The transcendental ego can be understood as a mode in which the phenomenologist investigates his own experiences, forming a personal union with the empirical ego. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT One long-running conundrum in Husserlian phenomenology revolves around the question of the identity of what Husserl calls the transcendental ego, a mysterious figure that he identifies as the subject of a genuinely transcendental phenomenology. In dialogue with both Husserl and his assistant and collaborator Eugen Fink (as well as recent commentary), I attempt in this article to give a solid account of the identity of this transcendental ego, and in particular to explain the connection between this figure and the empirical ego of the individual phenomenologist. I make particular reference to Fink's depiction of a "personal union" between these two egos in his Sixth Cartesian Meditation and to certain unclear hints in Husserl's 1923/1924 lectures on First Philosophy. Ultimately, I develop my own account of such a union, which explains the transcendental ego as a certain mode in which the phenomenologist might investigate his own experiences. On this basis, I argue, the status of phenomenology as a transcendental discipline can be understood without subjecting that discipline to certain criticisms that have been levelled against it.