Sem.

Aron Aniano Macalalad

AB-Philosophy II

1.) How does the motto of Paris "fluctuat nec mergitur" (rocked by the waves but does not sink)
relate to the enduring influence of Husserl's philosophy? 5 pts.

As the motto of Paris expresses, Husserl's philosophy had truly withstood the test of time. It had
its highs and lows; its highlights and drawbacks. It went up against more popular movements,
and at one point, was eclipsed by Heidegger, and later on, was overshadowed by postmodernism.
And yet, it persisted. It prevailed. It endured. And it didn't just survive, it gradually dominated
the cultural scene, to the point of achieving heights where oblivion is an improbability. Such
enduring influence of Husserl's philosophy is a great manifestation of its resilience. Indeed,
"Fluctuat nec mergitur", it had been rocked by the waves and yet it did not sink.

2.) How does Husserl's philosophy offer the possibility of returning to the First Philosophy? 5
pts.

Husserl's philosophy offers a possibility of return to the First Philosophy, because, similar to
Aristotle's thought, Husserl restored Philosophy to its original transcendence. If Aristotle has
metaphysics, or the theorizing of being as being, Husserl has phenomenology, or the study of
intellect as intellect. If Aristotle soared above the world of matter and motion by discovering
substance, Husserl transcends by studying the identity of things and examining the
consciousness. For indeed, this is what Philosophy truly is. It cannot be limited to the proximate
body of truths offered by the sciences. For Husserl, Philosophy goes beyond psychology. It goes
beyond physics. It even goes beyond logic. Such move by Husserl returned Philosophy back to
the perennial philosophical issues, and at the same time, restored Philosophy its special status.

3.) What are the important points of Husserl in his treatment of the intellect as intellect, that is,
the anthropology of Nous? 10 pts.

Husserl's anthropology of Nous could be encapsulated into three points.

First is the ideality of meaning. This suggests that propositions, judgments, or any other logical
discourse retain an identity in the midst of varying contexts. In this sense, meanings can be
communicated by one person to another, and therefore can be shared. Moreover, in different
speech acts and in different contexts, the same speaker or different speakers can always return to
the same meaning.
Second is the act of remembering. When we remember something from the past, it's as if we put
ourselves into the past situation, and in doing so, we recall not only the thing that we remember
but we also recall ourselves as experiencing it. We possess an awareness of our past selves. Our
personal identity comes into play even in memory. Hence, as intellectual beings, we are able to
transcend beyond the present moment and live in the past, the present, the future, and even in
imaginary worlds. How amazing is that!

Third is the inner time consciousness. Husserl asserts that this kind of consciousness is the
deepest. It's deeper than perception, reflection, memory, and imagination, and Husserl reaches it
by contrasting it with remembering. For Husserl, there is a difference between directly
experiencing change and duration and merely imagining or remembering it. Additionally, our
perception is not only conscious of that which exists right now, rather our consciousness, in one
way or another, can encompass more than that which is given right now. Inner time
consciousness is simply an unchangeable form of presence. "It is the space in which the most
basic distinctions are made, where identity and difference, rest and motion, and presence and
absence first come to light."