One is Not Born, But Rather Becomes Normal: Towards a Critical Phenomenology of the Lifeworld
Lisa Guenther
Research Square September 25, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-11037316/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that Husserl's late phenomenology contains three tendencies—expansionist, relational, and generative—and that the expansionist tendency is Eurocentric and normalizing while the relational tendency supports an inclusive multicultural reading. Contends that a critical phenomenology of the lifeworld needs a more explicit analysis of the power relations implicit in all three tendencies. |
Abstract
Abstract Husserl’s phenomenology of the lifeworld affirms the importance of engaging critically with the historical past to revitalize and transform its meaning. But his account of the role that ‘normality’ plays in world-constitution raises questions about the usefulness of Husserl’s generative phenomenology for a social critique of normalizing power. Through a reading of key passages in the Intersubjectivity manuscripts, I identify three tendencies in Husserl’s late phenomenology: expansionist, relational, and generative. I argue that the first tendency is frankly Eurocentric and normalizing, the second supports an inclusive multicultural reading of his work, and the third suggests a stronger emphasis on the intergenerational temporality of the lifeworld, rooted in the transcendental problem of birth and death. Ultimately, I think a critical phenomenology of the lifeworld calls for a more explicit analysis of the power relations implicit in all three tendencies, albeit in different ways.
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