Ideas for a Pure Phenomenology and Phenomenological Philosophy: First Book: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (Hackett Classics)

I gave it four stars, not for the readability of it as I found it so dense and thick, but for the pioneering and fresh perspective on philosophy that Husserl brings. Yes he built on Brentano, Stampf and others but presented it in a new form that then inspired Heidegger and many other wonderful thinkers. Unless you are accustomed to thinking like this, beware that it is heavy going as Husserl doesn't write so well (and that's quoting experts on Husserl, not just my limited opinion). A great thinker, a great man sadly his Jewish background led to his betrayal by Heidegger and the black stain that was Nazi Germany.

This hardly represents a step forward in Husserl translation. Do not read this on its own. At most, use this translation to help read the German if you've yet to acquire fluent academic German. Let me reiterate, only use this translation as a supplement.

I first met this book as an undergrad philosophy major browsing through the library. I didn't understand a word of it, but then, I had no idea what phenomenology was. Now it makes more sense to me. Also, I really didn't have a good grasp of intentionality until I began reading Section 2 of this book. I've read a lot of books explaining phenomenology, i.e., Marvin Farber, Dermot Moran, Robert Sokolowski, etc., and none were satisfactory. A necessary book to understanding givenness and the phenomenology of perception.

You know how in the movie Beetlejuice, the main dead guy says that the handbook for the recently deceased reads like stereo instructions? Well, this reads like the handbook for the recently deceased. But I got an A on both papers I wrote on it. Came on time.