Nature, Spirit, and Spirituality in Husserl’s Phenomenology

This article deals with the relationship between Spirit (<i>Geist</i>) and Nature (<i>Natur</i>) in Husserl’s phenomenology and the potentially religious motifs involved in its treatment. I begin by outlining two different approaches that can be found in Husserl’s work regard...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: María Celeste Vecino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/7/481
Description
Summary:This article deals with the relationship between Spirit (<i>Geist</i>) and Nature (<i>Natur</i>) in Husserl’s phenomenology and the potentially religious motifs involved in its treatment. I begin by outlining two different approaches that can be found in Husserl’s work regarding the dyad Nature-Spirit: firstly, a schematic opposition between the two, and secondly, the recognition of their fundamental intertwinement. I claim that, even in this second approach, there remains a sense of subordination of Nature to Spirit that is due to the transcendental character of Husserl’s phenomenology. I analyze this primacy in the context of Husserl’s monadological theory, bringing forward certain religious elements of his account in order to connect this notion of spirit to a more contemporary idea of spirituality.
ISSN:2077-1444