Since Descartes, Western philosophy has struggled to define the relationship between thinking subjects and the world. In a certain sense, this philosophical problem has been implicitly inherited by the natural sciences that measure and quantify what we call “reality” through the tools and methods of mathematics.
Yet, despite recognizing the practical importance of science, some philosophers retain that the objectivistic understanding of nature posited by naturalistic disciplines should not be conceptualized as the fundamental stratum of reality. In particular, a tradition labelled phenomenology contends that the sense of reality where our philosophical reflections start from and where they must be linked back is, to use the words of Alexandre Koyré, the world of experience where we live, love and die. Phenomenologists define the reality we inhabit, experience and where we pre-reflectively carry our plans and activities as the life-world (lebenwelt).
In this seminar, the main text we will be reading is “The Natural World as a Philosophical problem” (TNWPP) by the Czech phenomenologist Jan Patockca. In this book, the author initially faces the problem concerning the relationship between subjects and world from a historical perspective, dicussing the stances that philosophers like Hume, Kant, Descartes, Wittgenstein, Carnap, and Dilthey (among others) have taken on this issue. After a brief historical excursus, we will finally arrive at Patockca’s phenomenological and anti-dualistic perspective, where he will particularly draw on the philosophical works of Husserl and Heidegger
Importantly, Patockca’s characterization of the life-world will culminate in a theory of intersubjectivity and language. In line with other phenomenologists like Schutz, Gurwitsch, Merleau-Ponty and the same Husserl, Patockca sees phenomenology not just as an attempt to do justice to the world we inhabit and experience but also to a deeper sense of reality that is inherently intersubjective and always experienced as inhabited by other fellow human beings that can accept or deny our presence within it. As poetically written in the foreword of the text, for Patockca:
“Man is not only thrown into the world but also accepted. Acceptance is an integral part of thrownness, so much so that being- at- home in the world is made possible only through the warmth of acceptance by others. Nonetheless, the bliss of being accepted remains rooted in anxiety”. (2016, xvii)
Considering the important existential and phenomenological reflections of Patockca, acceptance, language and intersubjectivity will hence be central themes in the seminar. Besides TNWPP, other works from Patockca and other contemporary philosophers like Shaun Gallagher will also be read. The latter will include similar philosophical topics such as the one of natural world, of the body and its space within the life-world and the relationship between phenomenology and science.
The course is in English and the reading material will be provided by the lecturer. Non-philosophy and international students are also welcome.