Phenomenology of Time

Catalog description

Time, as St. Augustine famously observed, is something we all know perfectly well, right until we are asked to explain it. In this seminar, we will explore this difficulty. Our main focus will be on the descriptions of temporal experience found in the phenomenological tradition: those of Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty. Two important questions for us will be: can this first-personal analysis of time be reconciled with a third-person or scientific perspective? And, is our language up to the task of performing this analysis, and if not, what have these authors accomplished? Prior experience in philosophy is strongly recommended.