The metaphor of sedimentation and the entanglement of metaphors in Husserl’s phenomenology of time-consciousness
Nicolas de Warren
Continental Philosophy Review April 30, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s11007-026-09735-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that sedimentation and related metaphors of the past abiding in the living present are central to Husserl's phenomenology of time-consciousness, and that they support an understanding of consciousness as having a life rather than merely being alive. |
Abstract
Abstract This paper examines the different ways in which the metaphor and concept of sedimentation play a decisive function in Husserl’s phenomenology of time-consciousness. Through an examination of the different layers and implications of meaning in Husserl’s image of sedimentation, the entangled significance of this crucial metaphor is connected to other metaphors in Husserl’s thinking, including, most significantly, the master-metaphor of “stream.” The argument of this paper consists in developing the claim that sedimentation and other cognate senses in which the pastness of consciousness abides in the living present contributes to a phenomenological understanding of having a life rather than merely being alive. The life of consciousness, on this argument, is impossible without the constitutive sense in which consciousness possesses a life of its own becoming.
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