Post-Structuralism: An Indian Preview - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded
Phenomenological Criticism: A Study
--Pastapure. D.A.
Vai. Dhunda Maharaj Deglurkar Collge
Degloor Dist Nanded.
Phenomenological criticism was started by Germen thinker Edmund Husser (1859-1938). It is method of
philosophical enquiry which lays stress on perceivers vital and central role determining meaning. It shows that the
underlying nature of human consciousness and of phenomena (thing appearing). This critical approach involves
and entry to an investigation of the underline nature and essence of a work of literature.
Keywords : Phenomena, consciousness, intentional, perception, perceiver etc.
Phenomenology was established by the
German thinker Edmund Husserl (1859-
1938). The tern ‘Phenomenology’ can be
describe as ‘Phenomena’ is greek word
which means ‘things appearing’ and ‘logo’
is also a greek word the shows knowledge.
So phenomenology means knowledge of
things appearing. It is method of
philosophical enquiry which lays stress of
perceivers vital and central role
determining meaning. Phenomenology
claims to show us the underline nature of
human consciousness and of ‘phenomena’.
This was an attempt to revive the idea that
the individual human mind is the centre
and origin of all meaning. As for as
literature and literary theory is concerned,
The phenomologist critical approach
involves and entry to an investigation of
the underline nature and essence of a work
of literature.
Phenomenology has had
widespread philosophical influences since
it was put forward by Husserl in 1900 and
later and has been diversely developed by
Martin Heidegger in Germany and
Maurice Merleau–Ponty in France. It has
greatly influenced Huns-Georg Gadamer
and other theorist concerned with
analyzing the conscious activity of
understanding language and has directly,
affected the way in which may critic
analyze the experience of literature.
In 1930 the Polish theorist Roman
Ingarden (1893-1970). Who wrote his both
in polish and German adapted the
phenomenological viewpoint and concept
to a formulation of the way we understand
are respond to a work of literature. In
garden’s analysis, a literary originate in
the intentional act of consciousness of its
author “Intentional”. In the
phenomenological sense that the act are
directed towards an object. These acts, as
recorded in a text, make it possible for a
reader to re-experience the work in his or
her own consciousness.
Husserl’s conception of
phenomenology has been criticized and
developed not only by himself by his
student Edith Stein and Martin Heidegger.
According to Stephen hicks** write that to
understand phenomenology one must
indentify its root in the philosophy of
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) in his ‘The
Critics of Pure Reason’ Kant distinguish
between ‘phenomena’ (object as
interpreted by human sensibility and
understanding) and ‘noumena’ (Object as
thing in themselves) which human cannot
directly experience. Husserl derived many
important concepts central to
phenomenology from the works and
lectures of his teacher, the philosopher and
psychologists Franz Brentano and Carl
Stumf. An important element of
phenomenology, that Husserl barrowed
from Brentano is ‘Intentionally’ (often
describe as ‘aboutness’), the notion that
consciousness is always consciousness of
something the object of consciousness is
called the intentional object, and this
object is constituted for consciousness in
many different ways. Through for
instance, perception, memory, retention
and pretention signification etc.
throughout these different intentionalities,
Though they have different structure and
different ways of being about the object,
an object is still constituted as
the same identical object in direct
perception as it is in the immediately
following retention of this object and the
eventual remembering of it.
As George poulet say’s.
“When I read as I ought….. with
the total commitment required of any
reader”,
Then.
116 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1