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Document Details : Title: Approaching the Absolute in Jan Patočka's Phenomenology Author(s): RITTER, Martin Journal: Tijdschrift voor Filosofie Volume: 79 Issue: 3 Date: 2017 Pages: 499-515 DOI: 10.2143/TVF.79.3.3271933 Abstract : The paper elucidates the relationship between a finite human being and the infinite in Jan Patočka’s phenomenology. Whereas the early Patočka conceives phenomenology as a turn to absolute consciousness, in his later concept a phenomenologist can analyse appearing thanks to being a conditioned and finite part of the appearing, unable to transcend its own finiteness. Nevertheless, Patočka never abandons his early idea that 'the absolute is not outside but within us'. To clarify this idea, the paper considers especially Patočka’s concept of the movements of existence. Although Patočka inclines towards identifying the human relation to the absolute with the service of Being, he also conceives the true movement of existence as the movement of love. The article elaborates on this idea to demonstrate that the relationship of the finite human being to infinity does not need to be conceived as the relation to the unconditioned (absolute consciousness, Spirit, Being) but as the relation between conditioned, finite human beings. This infinity is reflected by phenomenology and manifested by a concrete human being. |
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