WM: Phenomenology in Central Europe - Sources and Developments

elementary

FI2_W02 FI2_W10 FI2_W11 FI2_U03 FI2_U06 FI2_U07 FI2_U08 FI2_U13 FI2_K08

Level of diffculty: intermediate.

Objectives of the course: The lecture series addresses sources, main currents, concepts and methods of phenomenology in the context of its development in Central Europe, with a particular emphasis on the Polish tradition. The presentation of these elements is held by the analysis of selected, main thinkers within the context of the development of phenomenology.

Prerequisites: knowledge of the history of philosophy, with a particular emphasis on the history of continental philosophy.

Phenomenology is one of the most important contemporary trends in philosophical thought, which has its origins in Edmund Husserl's thought. Relatively short after his first formulations of the basis of phenomenology, his philosophy was discussed also in Central Europe. This was due to the fact that many philosophers from this part of Europe studied in Germany and after returning to their home countries, they used the methods developed by Husserl within their own original research. The popularity of Husserl in Central Europe is evidenced by the fact that "Logical Investigations", his basic work, was translated into Russian as early as 1911 (it was the very first translation of Husserl's work into a foreign language). Also in Poland, the translation projects were undertaken, which was due to the fact that in Lvov, philosophy was taught by Kazimierz Twardowski - the foundator of the Lvov-Warsaw School - who himself was educated by Fraz Brentan - the teacher of Husserl. A similar situation was in the context of the rebirth of Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the 20th century - the so-called Prague School discussed with Husserl. The aim of the lecture is to present the sources and main developments of phenomenology in Central Europe. The lectures will be devoted to the thoughts of main philosophers popularizing phenomenology in this part of Europe, including Roman Ingarden, Leopold Blaustein, Jan Patocka and Gustaw Spet. In addition, the lectures are devoted to the sources of phenomenology in discussions with the Brentanian tradition, the Lvov-Warsaw School, or the Prague School. Selected topics of post-war phenomenology will also be presented, including the confrontation with Marxism during the communist period, as well as other original concepts.

1) "Early Phenomenology in Central and Eastern Europe: Main Figures, Ideas, and Problems," eds. Witold Płotka and Patrick Eldridge, Dordrecht: Springer 2020.

2) W. Płotka, From Psychology to Phenomenology (and Back Again): A Controversy over the Method in the School of Twardowski, „Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences” 19 (1): 141–167, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-019-09620-x.

3) W. Płotka, A Controversy over the Existence of Fictional Objects: Husserl and Ingarden on Imagination and Fiction, „Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology” vol. 51, no. 1 (2020): s. 33–54.

4) W. Płotka, Reduction and the Question of Beginnings in Husserl, Fink and Patočka, „Human Studies” 41 (4) (2018): 603–621, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-018-09482-3.

5) W. Płotka, Early Phenomenology in Poland (1895–1945): Origins, Development, and Breakdown, „Studies in East European Thought” vol. 69 (1) (2017): 79-91, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11212-017-9274-0.

6) W. Płotka, Phenomenology, Community, Participation: A Critical Analysis of Wojtyła’s Early Theory of Solidarity, „Filosofija. Sociologija” T. 30. Nr. 3 (2019): 174–182, https://doi.org/10.6001/fil-soc.v30i3.4039.

7) W. Płotka, Praxis, the Body, and Solidarity: Some Reflections on the Marxist Readings of Phenomenology in Poland (1945–1989), „Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica” vol. 20 (1) (2019), s. 178-195, https://doi.org/10.26881/maes.2019.1.09 (ISSN: 2084-2937 print/ 2354-0389 online).

8) H. Spiegelberg, The Phenomenological Movement, Dordrecht: Kluwer 1999.

9) W. Płotka, Beyond Ontology: On Blaustein's Reconsideration of Ingarden's Aesthetics, "Horizon. Studies in Phenomenology" 9(2) (2020).

Knowledge: the student knows the basic and advanced philosophical terminology in the field of phenomenology; the student identifies the main philosophers associated with the phenomenological movement in Central Europe; the student explains the reasons for the changes of Husserl's main concepts in their reformulation in selected trends in phenomenology in Central Europe; the student characterizes the main trends in the development of early phenomenology in Poland and other selected countries of Central Europe

Skills: the student works out the basic terminology in the field of phenomenology; the student classifies particular trends in the reception of Husserl's thoughts; the student recognizes the motives in the main readings of phenomenology in Central Europe

Competences: the student is aware of the heritage of phenomenology in contemporary philosophy; the student remains critical in expressing opinions about the unequivocal influences on given thinkers

ECTS:

Activity at the e-learning platform: 20

Preparation for classes: 30

Independent preparation of texts: 30

Consultation: 30

Preparation for the exam: 30

TOTAL HOURS: 150 [120: 30 (25) = 6]

NUMBER OF ECTS: 6

Information lecture; problem lecture; seminar lecture; talk; lectures will will be given in a synchronic way using the MS Teams platform (2/3) and in an asynchronic way using the MOODLE platform (1/3)

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