Introduction to Phenomenological Research

by Martin Heidegger

Introduction to Phenomenological Research , volume 17 of Martin Heidegger's Gesamtausgabe, contains his first lectures given at Marburg in the winter semester of 1923–1924. In these lectures, Heidegger introduces the notion of phenomenology by tracing it back to Aristotle's treatments of phainomenon and logos . This extensive commentary on Aristotle is an important addition to Heidegger's ongoing interpretations which accompany his thinking during the period leading up to Being and Time. Additionally, these lectures develop critical differences between Heidegger's phenomenology and that of Descartes and Husserl and elaborate questions of facticity, everydayness, and flight from existence that are central in his later work. Here, Heidegger dismantles the history of ontology and charts a new course for phenomenology by defining and distinguishing his own methods.

Genres: Philosophy, 20th Century

272 pages, Hardcover

Published May 3, 2005

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

[Dev Scott Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

dense, but worth it

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Phenomenological research” - as developed by Husserl - is both admired and criticized by Heidegger in this course/book, and further given a new foundation and direction. Husserl's phenomenology is traced back to Descartes, and from there way back to the medieval ontology and to some trends already present in Ancient Greek. Heidegger partially enrolls Aristotle in his support, but mainly develops his own existential philosophy to sustain his position and critique - as presented at length in “Being and Time” 3 years later.

Husserl's slogan “to the matters themselves” seem to imply an original approach to the matters - where the matters freely show themselves and independently of any priory perspective and questioning. Around this principle, Husserl constructed the new science of phenomenology understood as modern and future philosophy. For Heidegger, there is a big problem here in the form of a demand of an universally binding science - prefigured independently and prior to the matters it encounters, borrowed from mathematics, completely driven by the quest of certitude, and formulated in self-evident and free-floating propositions.

Husserl took most of this from Descartes's “cogito, ergo sum” - as the most certain proposition, a perfect example of such ideal certitudes, and as the start of all future and secured scientific deductions. But as Heidegger points out, behind this “simple, self-evident, and certain” propositional truth stands the entire medieval ontology: it is a proof of God's existence, it is statement that man is God's creation and stands in-between this perfect being and nothingness, “cogito” is God's gift to man to freely approach (or not) God's perfection and truth, truth is understood as the certitude of a such propositions, and by freely and innately exercising this “cogito” man participates in God's existence. Even if Descartes and everyone after him tried to secularize this statement and argument behind it, it cannot be done because it fundamentally depends on medieval ontology and God's existence. As Husserl stated such “propositions of knowledge bear the stamp of eternity”; and thus according to Heidegger he just simply tranquilized himself and others with this kind of a-historical certitude when proposing them as the foundations of any future sciences.

To all this understanding of truth as propositional, certain, and theoretical - Heidegger proposes a truth already embedded in existence that goes way back to the Ancient Greek's ἀλήθεια. The modern scientific method - as a way to acquire the greatest certainty and tranquility - is rejected by Heidegger in favor of a path to the matters themselves that open and secure them. Knowledge itself should not be a flight in front of existence along some theoretical and formal collection of ideas - but continuously rooted in the matters at hand.

[Enrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you read Heidegger don't see the answers, see the questions.

Even Heidegger takes the lead to apply the phenomenological method to see what is a question, that is very instructive.

The leading question is not "Why?", because "Why?" is not even a question, is already an answer disguised as a question.

Heidegger uses a lot the question "How?", "How is grounded?" "How is possible?", "How this works?".

He learned the trick from Husserl, but he goes beyond and uses it to let the text be alive.

Is curious that Kissiel in his Genesis of Being and Time doesn't even mention this part and doesn't bother too to see the fundamental bridge, the most important part: Saint Thomas Veritas phenomenological interpretation.

And is clear why: is hard to follow. Heidegger uses Aristotle to find the ground of "phenomena", only that the bridge that goes from Aristotle to Descartes and to Husserl is Saint Thomas.

Heidegger's knowledge of medieval philosophy in the XX century is only rivaled by Etienne Gilson, and the question is the guiding principle of medieval philosophy.

So Heidegger resuscitate the old question methodology, Husserl indirectly learned about this following Brentano but Heidegger understood better (and surely practiced with the Jesuits) the question path to thinking, even mystical thinking.

Cioran once saw that the mystical appears whit the most ferocious atrocities, the Spanish mystics appear in the worst part of the conquest. Is curious that Heidegger's Mystical question path appears in the worst part of Germany's violence after the end of the war.

Anyway, you learn a lot following the way of how Heidegger use questions. In the supplements, that are the notes of his students, they don't take notes of the questions. Is still very common to see reviews of Heidegger that doesn't understand the importance of how to ask the right question, asking the right question is more important than the answer.

Nice text, requires a previous reading of saint Thomas Veritas, Aristotle Peri Hermenias and "Soul", Descartes Meditations.

[Vittirivizzik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parts which focused on descartes was illuminating. About Husserl, the first part of the history of the concept of time does a better job.

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some good material in this relatively early set of lectures, but I thought it got bogged down in the details of Descartes a bit, which made for a tough slog. The juicy discussion of Husserl was also extremely rushed at the end (isn't this *always* the way with Heidegger lectures? they only bear out their sexy titles in the last 20 pages or so, and then *much* too cursorily--but then, that becomes a part of the mystique, doesn't it? ~sighs~). Not essential reading for the non-Heidegger scholar.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

goes directly toward critique of husserl via a well executed reading of descartes. there are some reasons to read it, but it is a bit untidy in its articulation.