An essay built upon the work of Käte Hamburger aimed at developing Rilke's theory of epistemology in relation to cognitive phenomenology.
Käte Hamburger has argued that Rainer Maria Rilke was a poet practicing phenomenology. This paper builds off her work, assuming Rilke to have conducted phenomenology by composing his lyric, and, with aid of the Neue Gedichte, seeks to address the tension between sensory and cognitive phenomenology. Cognitive Phenomenology is a new field of research that seeks to discover, if there be such a thing, the qualia of cognitive states. By a close reading of Husserl principle text, Logische Untersuchungen, this paper first established the structure of intentionality. We then apply Husserl's notion of intentionality to Rilke's lyric. The result of this research is that according to Husserl's analysis of intentionality, the existence of a pure cognitive phenomenology is left unanswered, but cognitive phenomenology does exist and is qualitatively different from sensory phenomenology. Lastly, we propose that the quale of a cognitive state is the same as the necessary conditions for that state, whose structure can, and should, be rigidly defined through linguistics. We conclude with the thought that this task would be the left to a new branch of linguistics called phenomenological linguistics. We argue our perspective with examples from Rilke's poetry.
Table of Contents
1. Exposé into the Field of Cognitive Phenomenology
2. Edmund Husserl's Conception of Intentionality, Logical Investigations
2.1 Prolegomena zur reinen Logik
2.2 First Investigation: Expression and Meaning
2.3 Fifth Investigation: Concerning Intentional Experiences and their Content
2.4 Conclusion
3. Käte Hamburger, The Phenomenological Structure of Rilke's Poetry
3.1 Schauen und Wesenschauung
3.2 Phenomenological Reduction
3.3 Intentionality
3.4 Phenomenological Analysis of Rilke's Blaue Hortensie
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This essay explores the potential for a cognitive phenomenology by examining the work of Edmund Husserl and applying his theories to the poetic structures of Rainer Maria Rilke. It aims to determine whether cognitive states possess a distinct phenomenology and how such intentional structures are manifested through language and poetic expression.
- Theoretical foundations of cognitive phenomenology and the debate on conceptual thought.
- Husserl's conception of intentionality and the structure of intentional experiences.
- Application of phenomenological reduction to Rilke's lyric poetry.
- Analysis of the relationship between sensory objects and conceptual meaning.
- Exploration of "phenomenological linguistics" as a tool for mapping cognitive states.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Schauen und Wesenschauung
Hamburger begins by developing the connection between Rilke's poetry and phenomenology by inspecting Rilke's use of the verb 'schauen' (look/watch/see). She argues that we must differentiate between the inconcise and concise (unprägnatem / prägnatem) accent of the use of the verb schauen, because the concise use becomes more and more frequent. (Hamburger 85) The pattern that results therefrom is when the verb is used in the intransitive, it expresses an act of consciousness perse, and this meaning becomes emphasized as the the verb becomes substantiated in the infinitive. Thus schauen or anschauen comes to take on the characterization of a dominating disposition of consciousness.(Hamburger 86)
It is important to emphasize that the verb schauen is never intended as an internal vision—intuition is a mythical sense. Schauen is always used in the sense of perceiving the outside world. For this reason it is surprising that this verb plays such an important role in Rilke's poetry. This is Hamburger's the first reason for her thesis that Rilke presents a lyric instead of a philosophy, that his poems offer a theory of knowledge. Furthermore, Hamburger argues that Rilke's use of schauen connects to, when only on the surface, to Husserl's concept of Wesenschau. She argues that Rilke is not to be understood as an expressionist because his concept of Wesenschau is not one of exstasia—he never 'leaves' himself and arrives outside to the objects. (Hamburger 88) He stays within his own perception, thus never using schauen as a mythical insight. It is for this reason that he is a precursor to the expressionists and it belongs to the sphere of phenomenological poetry—hence the need to understand better Husserl's phenomenology.
Summary of Chapters
1. Exposé into the Field of Cognitive Phenomenology: Introduces the emerging field of cognitive phenomenology and the foundational debate regarding whether cognitive processes possess an independent phenomenological character.
2. Edmund Husserl's Conception of Intentionality, Logical Investigations: Analyzes Husserl’s core texts to establish a technical understanding of intentionality, encompassing sensory and conceptual domains through the lens of logic and intentional unity.
3. Käte Hamburger, The Phenomenological Structure of Rilke's Poetry: Investigates how Rilke’s poetry functions as an implicit phenomenological practice, utilizing terms like 'schauen' to reveal underlying cognitive structures.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings on the intentionality of despair and proposes that future research should focus on the intersection of phenomenological linguistics and neuroscience.
Keywords
Cognitive Phenomenology, Edmund Husserl, Rainer Maria Rilke, Intentionality, Wesenschauung, Phenomenological Reduction, Intentional Unity, Propositional Attitudes, Schauen, Meaning-Intention, Logical Investigations, Qualitative Analysis, Descriptive Psychology, Poetic Structure, Epistemology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the intersection of cognitive phenomenology and literature, specifically analyzing how the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke reflects and demonstrates Husserlian phenomenological structures.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The core themes include the definition of cognitive phenomenology, the structure of human intentionality, the function of language in mediating meaning, and the application of philosophical concepts to poetic texts.
What is the central research question?
The study seeks to discover whether cognitive processes have their own unique phenomenology and how intentionality—the "aboutness" of consciousness—is constructed and revealed in Rilke's work.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author employs a hermeneutic and analytical approach, building upon Käte Hamburger’s work to perform a close reading of Husserl’s Logische Untersuchungen and specific poems by Rilke.
What core concepts are discussed in the main body?
The main body focuses on the nature of intentionality, the role of "meaning-intention," the distinction between sensory and conceptual objects, and the process of phenomenological reduction.
What defines the research's keyword profile?
The work is characterized by terms bridging philosophy and literary theory, such as "intentionality," "phenomenological reduction," "cognitive phenomenology," and specific Husserlian technical terms like "Wesenschauung."
How does the author relate Rilke’s "Blaue Hortensie" to cognitive states?
The author argues that the poem illustrates the "entropic" or dwindling nature of intentionality when the object of focus is lost, effectively modeling the cognitive state of despair through poetic language.
What is the significance of the term 'schauen' in the analysis?
'Schauen' is identified as a critical tool in Rilke’s poetry, serving not as a mystical insight but as a precise phenomenological act of perceiving the world and constructing meaning.
What does the author propose regarding "phenomenological linguistics"?
The author suggests that a new branch of linguistics could map qualitative cognitive states by creating logical operators that correspond to the intentional structures discovered in the phenomenological analysis.
- Citar trabajo
- John Dorsch (Autor), 2014, Toward the Phenomenology of Rainer Maria Rilke, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/412280
