Phenomenology of Intuition and Expression

by Martin Heidegger, Tracy Colony (Translator)

Phenomenology of Intuition and Expression is a crucial text for understanding the early development of Heidegger's thought. This lecture course was presented in the summer semester of 1920 at the University of Freiburg. At the center of this course is Heidegger's elaboration of the meaning and function of the phenomenological destruction. In no other work by Heidegger do we find as comprehensive a treatment of the theme of destruction as in this lecture course. Culminating in a destruction of contemporaneous philosophy in terms of its understanding of 'life' as a primal phenomenon, this lecture course can be seen to open the way towards a renewal of the meaning of philosophy as such.

This hugely important philosophical work is now available in English for the first time.
Phenomenology of Intuition and Expression is a crucial text for understanding the early development of Heidegger's thought. This lecture course was presented in the summer semester of 1920 at the University of Freiburg. At the center of this course is Heidegger's elaboration of the meaning and function of the phenomenological destruction. In no other work by Heidegger do we find as comprehensive a treatment of the theme of destruction as in this lecture course. Culminating in a destruction of contemporaneous philosophy in terms of its understanding of 'life' as a primal phenomenon, this lecture course can be seen to open the way towards a renewal of the meaning of philosophy as such.

This hugely important philosophical work is now available in English for the first time.

Genres: Philosophy

182 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) was a German philosopher whose work is perhaps most readily associated with phenomenology and existentialism, although his thinking should be identified as part of such philosophical movements only with extreme care and qualification. His ideas have exerted a seminal influence on the development of contemporary European philosophy. They have also had an impact far beyond philosophy, for example in architectural theory (see e.g., Sharr 2007), literary criticism (see e.g., Ziarek 1989), theology (see e.g., Caputo 1993), psychotherapy (see e.g., Binswanger 1943/1964, Guignon 1993) and cognitive science (see e.g., Dreyfus 1992, 2008; Wheeler 2005; Kiverstein and Wheeler forthcoming).

Reviews

[Alexandru Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this lecture course, Heidegger exemplifies one of the ways of doing phenomenology, which he calls phenomenological destruction and is also his program in later texts (as well as serving as a basis for Derrida’s deconstruction). Basically, it means exploring the preconceptions of different philosophical traditions / different ways of putting a problem and showing they are not radical enough, they don’t spring from a primordial / originary experience. Its purpose is “to lead philosophy from out of its alienation back to itself” (Kindle Locations 321-322).
This exploring of preconceptions is accomplished by the means of a phenomenological clarification.
In the two main sections of this book / course, Heidegger explores in this way two groups of problems, important for his philosophical contemporaries (but that haven’t lost their importance for the contemporary debates): the problem of the a priori (and its relation with the historically contingent) and the problem of subjectivity / life (mainly, the way lived experience can be understood by philosophy).
So, in the first part, Heidegger clarifies the meaning of the concept of history in the context of the philosophies of culture (Spengler, Simmel, etc.) and in the second – the concept of subjectivity / lived experience in Natorp and Dilthey.
Neither of these two problematics (in none of the author he examines) is put in radical enough terms for him; the criterion of radicality is their capacity to account for the concrete, factical, historical Dasein – and their springing not only from a theoretical attitude towards life, but from the personal factical existence of the philosopher.
Of course, this is a mere outline / summary of the book.
The details are very interesting, and Heidegger’s strategies of “destruction” too.
What is achieved in the end?
“In this way, only negations arise from our problems, it is a constant nay saying. It would be a misunderstanding to now expect a big 'yes' in the end. The destruction is rather continued; it simply does not have a bad aftertaste. It is the expression of philosophy, provided that in the motive of philosophy lies the securing, or rather, the making insecure, of one's own Dasein. In this continuation of the destruction from out of the tendency to attain and primordially determine the primordial, one is led to primordially and radically grasp the idea of phenomenology, also to understand the non-external, because the understanding of the phenomenological basic posture shows that in it the primordial motives of philosophizing itself can be brought to life.” (Kindle Locations 1757-1761)

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Heidegger is trying to figure things out – especially phenomenology, Dasein, lived experiences, phenomenological destruction, facticity of life, sciences, and similar. Beside Husserl, Jaspers, Dilthey, and Natorp; it is interesting to see how Heidegger originally approached and was influenced by the likes of Simmel or Spengler. When compared with the clarity, focus, and depth of later books and courses, this one is rather difficult to follow; and it seems to me that the English translation may be part of this problem.

[Edward Moran]

I was unable to finish the book. Not gripping like heidegger usually is.