Phenomenology: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy)

347 Pages·2020·3.606 MB·English

by  Walter Hopp

“Thisbookisatourdeforce—it’sthebestphenomenologicaltreatmentofthe
selected topics I’ve ever read.”
Søren Overgaard, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
“The reception of Husserl’s thinking has suffered from the complexity of his
ideas and the awkwardness of his jargon. At long last our suffering is at an
end. Walter Hopp has created an introduction to phenomenology that is at
the same time a pleasure to read and accurate to its subject-matter. Here
begins a new era of Husserl scholarship.”
Barry Smith, University at Buffalo, NY, USA

Phenomenology
Thecentraltaskofphenomenology istoinvestigatethenatureofconsciousnessandits
relations to objects of various types. The present book introduces students and other
readers to several foundational topics of phenomenological inquiry, and illustrates
phenomenology’s contemporary relevance. The main topics include consciousness,
intentionality, perception, meaning, and knowledge. The book also contains critical
assessments of Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological method. It argues that knowledge
isthemostfundamentalmodeofconsciousness,andthatthecentralthesesconstitutive
of Husserl’s “transcendental idealism” are compatible with metaphysical realism
regardingtheobjectsofthought,perception,andknowledge.
Helpful tools include introductions that help the reader segue from the previous
chapter to the new one, chapter conclusions, and suggested reading lists of primary
andsomekeysecondarysources.
KeyFeatures:
(cid:1) Elucidates and engages with contemporary work in analytic epistemology and
philosophyofmind
(cid:1) Provides clear prose explanations of the necessary distinctions and arguments
requiredfor understandingthe subject
(cid:1) Placesknowledgeat thecenterofphenomenologicalinquiry
Walter Hopp is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Boston University. He is the
authorofPerceptionandKnowledge: APhenomenologicalAccount (2011).
ROUTLEDGE CONTEMPORARY INTRODUCTIONS
TO PHILOSOPHY
Series editor:
Paul K. Moser
Loyola University of Chicago
Thisinnovative, well-structuredseriesisfor studentswho have alreadydone an
introductorycourse inphilosophy. Each bookintroduces a core general subject
in contemporary philosophy and offers students an accessible but substantial
transition from introductory to higher-level college work in that subject. The
series is accessible to non-specialists and each book clearly motivates and
expoundstheproblemsandpositionsintroduced.Anorientatingchapterbriefly
introducesitstopicandremindsreadersofanycrucialmaterialtheyneedtohave
retained from a typical introductory course. Considerable attention is given to
explaining the central philosophical problems of a subject and the main com-
peting solutions and arguments for those solutions. The primaryaim is to edu-
cate students in the main problems, positions and arguments of contemporary
philosophyratherthantoconvincestudentsofasingleposition.
Recently Published Volumes:
VirtueEthics
LiezlvanZyl
PhilosophyofLanguage
3rdEdition
WilliamG.Lycan
PhilosophyofMind
4thEdition
JohnHeil
PhilosophyofScience
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AlexRosenbergandLeeMcIntyre
PhilosophyofWesternMusic
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Phenomenology
WalterHopp
For a full list of published Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philoso-
phy, please visit https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Contemporary-Introduc-
tions-to-Philosophy/book-series/SE0111
Phenomenology
A Contemporary Introduction
Walter Hopp
Firstpublished 2020
byRoutledge
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andbyRoutledge
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Routledge isanimprint oftheTaylor &FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©2020Taylor&Francis
TherightofWalterHopptobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhasbeenassertedbyhim
inaccordancewithsections77and78oftheCopyright,Designsand PatentsAct1988.
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LibraryofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names:Hopp,Walter,author.Title:Phenomenology :acontemporary introduction/
Walter Hopp.Description:NewYork, NY:Routledge, 2020.|Series:Routledge
contemporaryintroductionstophilosophy|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.|
Identifiers:LCCN2020002908(print)|LCCN2020002909(ebook) |ISBN
9780367497385(hardback)|ISBN9780367497392(paperback)|ISBN9781003047216
(ebook) |ISBN9781000069464(adobepdf)|ISBN9781000069686(epub)|ISBN
9781000069570(mobi) Subjects:LCSH:Phenomenology. Classification:LCC B829.5.H66
2020(print)|LCCB829.5(ebook)|DDC142/.7–dc23LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.
loc.gov/2020002908LCebookrecordavailable athttps://lccn.loc.gov/2020002909
ISBN:978-0-367-49738-5 (hbk)
ISBN:978-0-367-49739-2 (pbk)
ISBN:978-1-003-04721-6 (ebk)
Typeset inTimesNewRoman
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
In loving memory of William John Hopp (1976–2013) and
Dallas Willard (1935–2013).

Contents
List of illustrations xiii
Acknowledgments xiv
Preface xvi
1 Consciousness 1
1.1 Intentionality and Phenomenality 2
1.2 Transparency 5
1.3 A Dilemma for Phenomenology 6
1.4 Transparency and Intentionalism 9
1.5 Against Transparency 10
1.6 Conclusion 15
2 Consciousness—A Look Inside 18
2.1 Some Discoverable Features of Intentional Experiences 18
2.1.1 Intuitive Character 19
2.1.2 Positing Character 22
2.1.3 Directness 24
2.1.4 Originary Character 29
2.2 Some Further Features of Consciousness 34
2.2.1 The For-Structure of Consciousness 34
2.2.2 The Temporal Structure of Consciousness 44
2.2.3 The Attentional Structure of Consciousness 47
2.3 Conclusion 47
3 Intentionality and Meaning 50
3.1 Some Components of a Linguistic Act 51
3.2 What Meanings Aren’t 54
3.2.1 The Meaning of an Utterance is not the Utterance’s
Object 54