Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes

The paper contains a general characteristics of the relation between Lev Shestov’s philosophy of existence and transcendental phenomenology of Edmund Husserl. The analysis was largely inspired by Cezary Wodziński’s research on Shestov’s writings, including his book published in Polish Wiedza a zbawi...

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Main Author: Katarzyna Szepieniec
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Pedagogical University of Krakow 2014-06-01
Series:Argument
Subjects:
Online Access:http://argumentwp.vipserv.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/pdfv4n1/argument_v4n1_Szepieniec.pdf
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author Katarzyna Szepieniec
author_facet Katarzyna Szepieniec
author_sort Katarzyna Szepieniec
collection DOAJ
description The paper contains a general characteristics of the relation between Lev Shestov’s philosophy of existence and transcendental phenomenology of Edmund Husserl. The analysis was largely inspired by Cezary Wodziński’s research on Shestov’s writings, including his book published in Polish Wiedza a zbawienie. Studium myśli Lwa Szestowa (1991). In 1931, inspired by Descartes’ Meditationes de prima philosophiae, Husserl began a total transformation of philosophy into a science absolutely founded, assumptionless and developed in the spirit of absolute self-responsibility. Thus, the idea of philosophy as an exact science and Descartes’ idea of a science absolutely founded became the aim. It resulted in a project of universal science which — according to Husserl — has been the aim of European philosophy from the beginning. Ultimately, this philosophy was to rebuild the whole model of European culture. Less than two years after the first edition of Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenchaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie, Lev Shestov published his Athens and Jerusalem (1938) where he agrees with Husserl’s diagnosis that the whole European culture is in a stage of a deep crisis which goes to its very foundations. However, Shestov points at the radically different sources of that crisis. Paradoxically, a remarkable friendship connecting these two thinkers did not affect the similarity of their views. In fact, they are located at the opposite poles of the contemporary philosophical scene. The friendship of Shestov and Husserl was born in the atmosphere of an intense and uncompromising intellectual debate. Both thinkers are strongly convinced that the fate of European culture and European understanding what it is to be man are decided in the realm of philosophy. So, the philosophical projects they offer are two extremely critical visions of culture. At the same time they suggest a way the European culture should be thoroughly reformed at its very basis.
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spelling doaj.art-86a7df34ea184a8897247acb467b34a42022-12-22T02:05:24ZdeuPedagogical University of KrakowArgument2083-66352084-10432014-06-0141135154Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodesKatarzyna Szepieniec0Pedagogical University of CracowThe paper contains a general characteristics of the relation between Lev Shestov’s philosophy of existence and transcendental phenomenology of Edmund Husserl. The analysis was largely inspired by Cezary Wodziński’s research on Shestov’s writings, including his book published in Polish Wiedza a zbawienie. Studium myśli Lwa Szestowa (1991). In 1931, inspired by Descartes’ Meditationes de prima philosophiae, Husserl began a total transformation of philosophy into a science absolutely founded, assumptionless and developed in the spirit of absolute self-responsibility. Thus, the idea of philosophy as an exact science and Descartes’ idea of a science absolutely founded became the aim. It resulted in a project of universal science which — according to Husserl — has been the aim of European philosophy from the beginning. Ultimately, this philosophy was to rebuild the whole model of European culture. Less than two years after the first edition of Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenchaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie, Lev Shestov published his Athens and Jerusalem (1938) where he agrees with Husserl’s diagnosis that the whole European culture is in a stage of a deep crisis which goes to its very foundations. However, Shestov points at the radically different sources of that crisis. Paradoxically, a remarkable friendship connecting these two thinkers did not affect the similarity of their views. In fact, they are located at the opposite poles of the contemporary philosophical scene. The friendship of Shestov and Husserl was born in the atmosphere of an intense and uncompromising intellectual debate. Both thinkers are strongly convinced that the fate of European culture and European understanding what it is to be man are decided in the realm of philosophy. So, the philosophical projects they offer are two extremely critical visions of culture. At the same time they suggest a way the European culture should be thoroughly reformed at its very basis.http://argumentwp.vipserv.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/pdfv4n1/argument_v4n1_Szepieniec.pdfcrisis of cultureradical criticismtélosthe alternative either-orto overcome the crisissource of knowledge
spellingShingle Katarzyna Szepieniec
Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes
Argument
crisis of culture
radical criticism
télos
the alternative either-or
to overcome the crisis
source of knowledge
title Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes
title_full Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes
title_fullStr Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes
title_full_unstemmed Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes
title_short Husserl and Shestov: philosophical antipodes
title_sort husserl and shestov philosophical antipodes
topic crisis of culture
radical criticism
télos
the alternative either-or
to overcome the crisis
source of knowledge
url http://argumentwp.vipserv.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/pdfv4n1/argument_v4n1_Szepieniec.pdf
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