This is the first English translation of Herbert Witzenmann’s seminal work, Strukturphänomenologie, which departs from the traditional phenomenological methods of Husserl, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty to introduce a fresh approach to the nexus of consciousness and reality.
In Structure Phenomenology, published open access, Witzenmann argues for the active mental, yet mostly pre-reflective, participation of humans in the emergence of individual consciousness of all kinds and the basic structure that determines it. While Witzenmann ascribes a derivative or memorative status to habitual states of phenomenal consciousness, even if they seem to refer to present objectivity, he proposes that the underlying formative processes be unveiled and explored through systematic first-person observation. Through his logically grounded and experience-based approach, he contends that it is not neural processes that produce consciousness, but rather one’s own preconscious rootedness in reality which can be made conscious.
Influenced by the writings of Rudolf Steiner and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Witzenmann’s innovative approach casts new light on a number of philosophical, psychological, and scientific issues: from being and becoming to temporality and presence, and from remembering to mind and body. Even freedom takes on a new meaning when reality is not pre-given to human consciousness, but is rather a result of human participation in the basic process.
This annotated translation makes Witzenmann’s text accessible to an English audience for the first time and, with a comprehensive editorial introduction by Johannes Wagemann, situates his ground-breaking insights within the development of phenomenology, as well as in current philosophical and psychological debates. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.
By:
Herbert Witzenmann
Edited by:
Professor Johannes Wagemann (Alanus University Mannheim Germany)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350270473
ISBN 10: 1350270474
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 21 March 2024
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword, Johannes Wagemann (Alanus University, Germany) Introduction to Structure Phenomenology, Johannes Wagemann (Alanus University, Germany) 1. Biographical Notes on Herbert Witzenmann 2. The Role of Introspection 3. Intentionality and the Basic Structure 4. The Deposited Memorative Layer 5. Reality Access and Ontological Stratification 6. Reception and Further Development of Witzenmann’s Structure Phenomenology Structure Phenomenology, Herbert Witzenmann Foreword Introduction Part 1: The Basic Structure 1.1 Mistaken Conceptions Of The Relation Between Consciousness And Object 1.2 The Basic Structure In The Light Of Rudolf Steiner’s Epistemology 1.3 Explanatory Remarks Part 2: The Crucial Difficulty. The Problem of Generation 2.1 Self-giving. Temporalization. Depresentification 2.2. A Seemingly Resultant Infinite Regress 2.3 The Problem of Continuity Part 3: The Proposed Solution 3.1 Thinking Act and Thought Content (Evidence) 3.2 Further Elucidation on this Approach to a Solution 3.3 Formation of Reality and Beings 3.4 The Sub-temporal and Super-temporal 3.5 Thinking Act and Self-consciousness (the “I”). The Concept of Observation 3.6 The Solution to the Problem of Memory 3.7 The Deposited Memorative Layer. The Concept of Objectivity. The Gaze Behind the Veil 3.8 The Concept of Presence 3.9 Structural and Functional Remembering 3.10 The Paradox of Self-giving. The Self-forgetfulness of Supposing 3.11 Results of the Structure-phenomenological Exploration of the Contents of Consciousness Part 4: The Significance Of Structure Phenomenology Advice for the Reader References
Herbert Witzenmann (1905–1988) was a German philosopher, known for his work on phenomenology, consciousness, and anthroposophy. His major influences include Rudolf Steiner, Goethe, and Husserl. Johannes Wagemann is Professor of Consciousness Studies at Alanus University, Mannheim, Germany.
Reviews for Structure Phenomenology: Preconscious Formation in the Epistemic Disclosure of Reality
This book is a wide-ranging analysis and synthesis of how the principles and first-person methods of structural phenomenology cast light on conceptual and non-conceptual content of experience and enable insights into the constitution of intentional content and the formation of reality. It is a highly welcome addition and foundation for the growing interest in epistemological and phenomenological issues concerning the constitution of subjectivity and the world among scientists and laymen alike. * Christian Tewes, Adjunct Professor (Privatdozent) of Philosophy, University of Jena, Germany *
