The Concept of the Body in Transcendental Phenomenology and in Modern Biology

  • Cornelis A. Van Peursen
Chapter
Part of the Analecta Husserliana book series (ANHU, volume 1)

Abstract

Rich material as to the human behavior and experience related to the body has been brought forward by psychology and psychopathology during the last decades. These new conceptions are generally called ‘phenomenological’, and many of them have, indeed been influenced by phenomenological philosophers, like the earlier Sartre and like Merleau-Ponty. Others, like P. Schilder and Erwin Strauss have developed very penetrating analyses along their own lines and even before the aforementioned thinkers had evolved their ideas. The influence of Husserl on the greater part of this current is undeniable, but is nevertheless restricted to the direct or indirect influence of his general phenomenological approach. Many of his thoughts on the body are worked out only in his later works, and where they are found already in earlier writings, such as in the second volume of his Ideas, they remained unpublished. Ideas, II was published only in 1952, many years after Husserl’s death. It is useful, therefore, to analyse now Husserl’s analyses of the body and their importance for Husserl’s concept of a transcendental phenomenology, and to draw some lines of comparison with contemporary results of biological and physiological research.

Keywords

Logical Rule Bodily Orientation Surrounding World Transcendental Phenomenology Symbolic Behavior 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    R. M. Zaner, The Problem of Embodiment, The Hague 1964.Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    C. A. van Peursen, Body, Soul, Spirit, Oxford University Press, 1966.Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    E. Husserl, Logische Untersuchungen, II, 1; Halle (1901) rev. ed. 1913, pp. 165, 166.Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    E. Husserl, Ideen, II. The Hague 1952, pp. 152, 153.Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    Ideen, II, pp. 153–157.Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    Ideen, II, pp. 157–172.Google Scholar
  7. 7.
    E.Husserl, Phänomenologische Psychologie (from 1925), The Hague 1962, pp. 196–199.Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    E. Husserl, Formale und transzendentale Logik, Halle 1929, pp. 221–225.Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    E. Husserl, Logische Untersuchungen, II, 2, pp. 196–199.Google Scholar
  10. 10.
    E. Husserl, Zur Phänomenologie des inneren Zeitbewusstseins, The Hague 1966, p. 75 (orig. cd. p. 429).Google Scholar
  11. 11.
    E. Husserl, Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenschaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie, The Hague 1954, pp. 185–193.Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    f.i. G. Brand, Welt, Ich und Zeit, Den Haag 1955.Google Scholar
  13. 12.
    E. Fink, ‘Die Phänomenologische Philosophie E. Husserls in der gegenwärtigen Kritik’ in E. Fink, Studien zur Phänomenologie, Den Haag 1966.Google Scholar
  14. 12.
    K. Held, Lebendige Gegenwart, Den Haag 1966.Google Scholar
  15. 12.
    L. Landgrebe, Der Weg der Phänomenologie, Gütersloh 1963.Google Scholar
  16. 13.
    E. Husserl, Erste Philosophie, II, The Hague 1959, pp. 386, 387.Google Scholar
  17. 13.
    E. Husserl, Formale und transzendentale Logik, p. 245.Google Scholar
  18. 14.
    E. Husserl, Analysen zur passiven Synthesis (from 1918–1926), The Hague 1966, pp. 216, 377–381.Google Scholar
  19. 15.
    L. Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-philosophicus (the first translation, London 1922, is being quoted) 5.631-5.633a; 5. 641.Google Scholar
  20. 16.
    L. Wittgenstein, Zettel, Oxford 1967, Nr. 479–483.Google Scholar
  21. 17.
    L. Wittgenstein, Philosophische Bemerkungen, Oxford 1964, Nr. 70–74.Google Scholar
  22. 18.
    L. Wittgenstein, Zettel, Nr. 614.Google Scholar
  23. 19.
    L. Wittgenstein, The Blue and Brown Books, Oxford 1958, pp. 46–48, 63–67.Google Scholar
  24. 19.
    L. Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations. Oxford 1953, Nr. 404–410.Google Scholar
  25. 19.
    L. Wittgenstein, The Blue and Brown Books, pp. 68,69.Google Scholar
  26. 20.
    S. Hampshire, Thought and Action, London 1959, pp. 85–90, 145–168.Google Scholar
  27. 21.
    The following titles can be mentioned: L. Brillouin, Science and Information Theory, New York 1956.Google Scholar
  28. 21.
    W. M. Elsasser, The Physical Foundation of Biology, London 1958.Google Scholar
  29. 21.
    H. Quastler, The Emergence of Biological Organization, New Haven-London 1964.Google Scholar
  30. 21.
    Chr. P. Raven, Oogenesis; The Storage of Developmental Information, Oxford 1961.Google Scholar
  31. 21.
    E. Schrödinger, What is Lifel New York 1945.Google Scholar
  32. 22.
    The following works on this theme give an orientation: J. P. Schade and D. H. Ford, Basic Neurology, Amsterdam 1967.Google Scholar
  33. 22.
    N. Wiener and J. P. Schade (eds.) Cybernetics of the Nervous System, Amsterdam 1965.Google Scholar
  34. 22.
    D. E. Wooldridge, The Machinery of the Brain, New York 1963.Google Scholar
  35. 23.
    W. H. Thorpe, Biology, Psychology and Belief, Cambridge 1961.Google Scholar
  36. 23.
    W. H. Thorpe, Biology and the Nature of Man, London 1963.Google Scholar
  37. 24.
    M. Polanyi, Personal Knowledge, London 1962 (2nd ed.), p. 377.Google Scholar
  38. 25.
    R. Ruyer, L’animal, l’homme. La fonction symbolique., Paris 1964, pp. 44–55.Google Scholar
  39. 26.
    J. Ladricre, ‘Limites de la formalisation’, in J. Piaget, Logique et connaissance scientifique, Paris 1967, pp. 312–333. - A general introduction: E. Nagel and J. R. Newman, Gödel’s Proof, London 1959.Google Scholar
  40. 27.
    P. W. Bridgman, The Way Things Are, Cambridge, Mass. 1959, pp. 1–11.Google Scholar
  41. 27.
    cf. f.i. G. Frey, Sprache - Ausdruck des Bewusstseins, Stuttgart 1965.Google Scholar
  42. 28.
    E. Husserl, Logische Untersuchungen, I, pp. 67–69.Google Scholar
  43. 29.
    J. Piaget, Biologie et connaissance, Paris 1967, pp. 350–381.Google Scholar
  44. 30.
    C. A. van Peurscn, Fads, Values, Events (English translation in preparation).Google Scholar

Copyright information

© D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht-Holland 1970

Authors and Affiliations

  • Cornelis A. Van Peursen
    • 1
  1. 1.University of LeydenNetherlands

Personalised recommendations