Phenomenology and the Problem of Meaning in Human Life and History

This edited volume highlights the continuing relevance of Husserl’s phenomenology, through a selection of work from members of the Organization of Phenomenological Organizations. As their papers amply demonstrate, contemporary phenomenology retains its critical focus, even as the discipline continues to expand and diversify. The book consists of four sections. In the first, authors focus on the contemporary implications of Husserl’s critique of natural science and the problem of meaning; in the second, they draw upon phenomenological insights to help us understand present day social and ecological crises. The third includes contributions on the relationships between phenomenology, hermeneutics, literature and art; while in the final section, authors take up the work of prominent post-Husserlian phenomenologists to think through issues of language, interpretation, philosophy, religion and the history of ideas. In sum, the variety of approaches these thinkers take in order to understand issues that currently confront us richly demonstrates the enduring significance of Husserlian phenomenology for 20th- and 21st-century philosophy.