The Problem of Genesis in Husserl's Philosophy by Jacques Derrida; Marian Hobson

Review by: Pamela Proietti

The Review of Metaphysics, Vol. 58, No. 2 (Dec., 2004), pp. 433-434
Published by: Philosophy Education Society Inc.
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AND COMMENTS
SUMMARIES

433

of the material
and the mental.
His
concepts
bridging the gap between
"is not a theory of human beings but a provisional
dualism,
therefore,
of failure, an index of the work
that remains to be
acknowledgement
done before a viable theory of the human mind becomes
available"
(p.
College.
258).?Andrew
Pessin, Kenyon

in Husserl's
Trans
of Genesis
Philosophy.
of Chicago Press,
Chicago: The University
$27.50?This
early work by Derrida, his 1953/
to French intellec
the philosophy
of Husserl
goal in this work is to "arrange for access to
of a historical movement:
that of Husserlian
to
Husserl
(p. xxxv).
According
Derrida,
began with
phenomenology"
a philosophical
the intention of undertaking
but
in the end
revolution,
remained
of a great classical
"the prisoner
tradition: the one that re
duces human finitude to an accident
of history, to an 'essence of man'
a
or actual
that understands
of possible
temporality
against
background
or
in
an
it
which
have
has
could
Derrida
eternity
participated"
(p. 5).
nounces with these opening
comments
that he does not share in this
so clearly served as the inspiration for
tradition," which
"great classical
turn toward philosophy
Husserl's
and his lifelong search, which was a
search for philosophic
certitude and a search for meaning.
Husserl begins his philosophy with an assault on prevalent contempo
called "psychologism."
Husserl has "three
rary theories of knowledge,
motives"
for his critique of psychologism.
Firstly, Husserl seeks to dem
onstrate
laws and not merely
that rules of logic are genuine
empirical
laws. He also seeks to distinguish
laws of
logical laws from empirical
nature; the latter laws must be discovered
"by induction from the singu
lar facts of experience"
and
(p. 40). Yet one can only reach probabilities
in
of facts. Logic and mathematics,
sciences
empirical generalities
by
in this empirical realm. A central dilemma
in
contrast, are not grounded
Husserl's
is how to reconcile
these two separate
philosophy
spheres.
essences
No mediation
and facts, between
real and idea, is pos
between
sible in the early stages of Husserl's
thought. The problem of mediation
In this early stage of his phenome
appears insurmountable
(pp. 41-2).
essences
have not yet allowed Husserl
to throw a
"constituted
nology,
suitable light on their originary relations" (pp. 41-2).
Later in his philo
turn to a "very strange"
Husserl will eventually
sophical development,
intuition of essences,
is simply assumed:
whose
existence
"Such sys
. . . theoretical
so on, re
tems as theoretical mechanics
and
astronomy
with afundamentum
in re" (p. 43).
ally hold as ideal possibilities
Derrida
locates the crucial moment
of Husserl's
emerging phenome
in his refusal to embrace Kantian
idealism.
For Husserl,
"it is
nology
or found the 'value' of logical
natural experience
that must
sanction
laws" (p. 38). Husserl
in the realm of con
seeks his a priori
synthesis
crete experience,
rather than in a transcendental
realm of purely formal

The Problem
Derrida,
Jacques.
lated by Marian Hobson.
2003. xliii + 228 pp. Cloth,
54 dissertation,
introduced
tuals. Derrida's professed
and complete
intelligibility

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ARANCANESAND STAFF

434

In a useful footnote, Derrida explains

the uses of "synthesis"
concepts.
terms
the
that name the central
and "genesis" in the book?these
being
that Derrida finds in Husserlian
Kant's a pri
problem
phenomenology.
it is not empirical and re
excludes
ori synthesis
any genesis, because
intuition. Husserl, on the contrary, seeks an a priori
quires no sensible
on a concrete
intuition where being comes
'to give
"founded
synthesis
one with
It becomes
It is thus temporal and enriching.
itself in person.'
a genesis."
poses a "veritable transcendental
Thus, Husserl
problem"
that is, the
that is not posed in the Kantian version of transcendentalism,
"problem of genesis" (p. 195, n. 49).
Husserl
fails to give an account of the actual genesis" of
"constantly
essences
intuition of objective
both the transcendental
ego's supposed
into European history
of philosophy"
and the astonishing
"breakthrough
the book with an account of how his
(p. 160). Derrida rightly concludes
own view of philosophy
differs from the understanding
of Husserl
(pp.
Derrida shares Heidegger's
critique of Husserlian
philosophy:
153-160).
is lost in the
of man as a historical
being (Dasein)
genuine knowledge
reason. Husserl does not start from
turn to transcendental
Husserlian
of philosophy
this "human reality" (p. 156). Derrida gives a description
vision:
and
that is quite at odds with Husserl's
"every sys
original goal
a hypothesis
tem of history of philosophy
is an 'interpretation,'
that is al
. . . Without
the project of an infinite the
ways premature.
abandoning
an existential
ory, philosophy,
reflecting on itself, in this way completes
to
act and comes to an awareness
of its finitude"
(p. 178). According
Derrida, while remaining merged with a "most dubious history of philos
his original
could not continue
ophy," Husserl
phenomenological
a new beginning,
that "a radical explicitation,
Derrida believes
project.
same
not
is
the
is necessary"
Yet
Derrida
project that
pursuing
(p. 178).
as "the philosophic
is not
had described
vocation."
Derrida
Husserl
seeking truth in the way that Husserl was seeking truth. The Platonic
as an unending
and Husserlian
vision of philosophy
search for knowl
not
in Derrida's more
and
eternal
is
of
truth
eternal
present
Being
edge
historicist
and skeptical version of the task of the modern
philosopher
who stands at the "end of philosophy."?Pamela
of
Proietti, University
Memphis.

Method.
Aaron.
in Spinoza's
Garrett,
Cambridge
Meaning
Cambridge:
+
240
2003.
xii
pp. Cloth, $60.00?Spinoza's
philoso
Press,
University
query and dispute regarding the mean
phy has bequeathed
longstanding
of his system as well as the influ
and elements
ing of several doctrines
ences of his innovative,
Prominent
controversial
among those
project.
are its presentation
in more geo
debated
aspects of Spinoza's Ethics
it purportedly
and the goal toward which
directs us, a scientia
m?trico
In
that will make us blessed,
intuitiva
free, and eternal in some sense.
that
Aaron Garrett maintains
in Spinoza's
his book Meaning
Method,
are mutually
informative:
and the goal of Spinoza's Ethics
the method
we can only properly understand
it in light
method
by viewing
Spinoza's

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