MICHEL HENRY’ RADICAL PHENOMENOLOGY

Studia Phaenomenologica vol. IX/2009
2009, Bucharest, Zeta Books

Michel Henry è uno dei grandi pensatori della fenomenologia in Francia. Nato a Haiphong nel 1922, ha studiato in Francia e insegnato a Montpellier. La sua attività di studioso, avviata prima della guerra si è sviluppata nel clima della grande stagione fenomenologica di Sartre e di Merleau-Ponty, da cui Henry giunge tuttavia a prendere le distanze in una ricerca estremamente rigorosa e personale. Tra le sue opere filosofiche: L'essenza della manifestazione (1963), Filosofia e fenomenologia del corpo (1965), Marx. Una filosofia della realtà, una filosofia dell'economia  (1976), La barbarie (1987), Dal comunismo al capitalismo: teoria di una catastrofe (1990).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jad Hatem & Rolf Kühn, Introduction

DOCUMENTS

Michel Henry, Destruction ontologique de la critique kantienne du paralogisme de la psychologie rationnelle

Michel Henry, Lettre à Bernard Forthomme

I. RADICAL PHENOMENOLOGY AND FIRST PHILOSOPHY

Julia Scheidegger, Michel Henrys Lebensphänomenologie als Hermeneutikkritik

José Ruiz Fernández, Logos and Immanence in Michel Henry’s Phenomenology

Jeffrey Hanson, Michel Henry’s Critique of the Limits of Intuition

Benoît Ghislain Kanabus, Vie absolue et Archi-Soi: Naissance de la proto-relationnalité

Antoine Vidalin, L’acte humain dans la phénoménologie de la vie

Abstract: The question of action orpraxis has not been treated in particular by Michel Henry in his works.However, this subject is present at each step of his reflexion. This articlemakes a synthesis on this matter, taking into account all of his works,especially the last books on Christianity (which, in our view, fulfill thephenomenology of life). Having determined the immanent dialectic of action(from the gift of the power in the generation and the in-carnation of theFirst Living), we can understand, following Michel Henry, the ethics of Lifeas the Commandment of Love. From such a perspective, the sin and the salvationcan be reconnected to the native relation of the living with the Life.

II. CONFRONTATIONS

Christoph Moonen, Touching from a Distance: In Search of the Self in Henry and Kierkegaard

Camille Riquier, Henry, Bergson et la phénoménologie matérielle

Raphaël Gély, L’imaginaire et l’affectivité originaire de la perception: Une lecture henrienne du débat entre Sartre et Merleau-Ponty

Niall Keane, Why Henry’s Critique of Heidegger Remains Problematic: Appearing and Speaking in Heidegger and Henry

Rolf Kühn, „Wiederholung“ als Habitualität und Potentialität: Michel Henry und Gilles Deleuze

Sébastien Laoureux, Material phenomenology to the test of Deconstruction: Michel Henry and Derrida

Abstract: What would be the result ofreading Derrida from the standpoint of material phenomenology? And what wouldbe the result of reading material phenomenology on the basis of therequirements of Derridean thought? These are the questions that this articleendeavours to tackle by focusing on the two philosophers' readings ofHusserl's Lectures on the Consciousness of Internal Time. At first strangelysimilar, these two readings soon display marked differences. Whereas Derrida,in his approach, is keen to demonstrate that there is never any purepresence, Michel Henry brings out an "Archi-presence" which heattempts to safeguard from any deconstruction. So perhaps materialphenomenology functions as "quasi-deconstruction", having the samerelationship with Derridean thought as "negative theology" has withdeconstruction.

III. AESTHETICS AND RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY

Jad Hatem, L’art comme phénoménologie de la subjectivité absolue: Henry et Balzac

Ruud Welten, What do we hear when we hear music? A radical phenomenology of music

Jean Reaidy, La connaissance absolue et l’essence de la vérité chez Maître Eckhart et Michel Henry

Jean Leclercq, La provenance de la chair: Le souci henryen de la contingence

Ovidiu-Sorin Podar, La vie en tant que Vie: Lecture théologique d’une tautologie, entre Michel Henry et saint Maxime le Confesseur

Abstract: The phenomenological tautologyof life in Michel Henry's works shows us that the radical concept ofself-affection, in its own immanence, cannot be described in another way,either by metaphor or analogy for example, but only by that immediaterelation like adequacy on itself: "life as life". The reduplicationof the fundamental concept in Henry's last "theological" turnintroduced a new Transcendence: the Self-Affection of the Absolute Life, theChristian God as Revelation. In this way, we can diversify the tautology oflife trying to read it using Saint Maximus the Confessor's theology:"Life as Life" like the Absolute phenomenological Life of Trinityin Unity; "life as Life" for the creation of the human living bythe Living God; "life as life" for the existence of the man,ek-sisting in a world affected by the original transgression; "Life aslife" for the Incarnation of the Logos of God; "life as Life-2"for the rebirth of the human living into Christ and His Mystical Body.

IV. HUMAN SCIENCES AND POLITICS

Marc Maesschalck & Benoît Ghislain Kanabus, Pour un point de vue d’immanence en sciences humaines

Frédéric Seyler, Michel Henry et la critique du politique

Michael Staudigl, Die Hypostase des Politischen und das Prinzip des Faschismus: Zur Kritik des Politischen nach Michel Henry

Eric Faÿ, Organisation virtuelle, travail réel: Une critique henryenne de l’organisation virtuelle du travail humain

Abstract: This article presents aphenomenological perspective on the "virtual organisation" wherepeople are obliged to work at a distance and where contact with others islimited to that of an electronic network. Drawing on Husserl, we see thatwhen the "as-if" presence is contrived in such a way, theorganisation obstructs the life of consciousness. Furthermore, relying onMichel Henry's writings, we explain how removing the parameter of"flesh" as a factor structuring encounters, this organizationalform profoundly restricts the dynamism of the acting, subjective life.

VARIA

Jean-Yves Lacoste, L’objet: constitution et réduction

Fausto Fraisopi, Expérience et horizon chez Husserl: Contextualité et synthèse à partir du concept de « représentation vide »

Christian Ferencz-Flatz, The Neutrality of Images and Husserlian Aesthetics

Dimitri Ginev, Interpretative Erschlossenheit der endlichen Existenz und mathematische Unendlichkeit. Zu Oskar Beckers Phänomenologie des Transfiniten

Abstract: The paper attempts toelucidate and evaluate Oskar Becker's search for a complementarity betweenthe paradigm of constitutional analysis put forward by Heidegger'shermeneutic phenomenology and constructivism as a meta-mathematical positionsuggesting criteria for existence of the mathematical objects. At stake isthe issue of the possibility of an existential analytic of "themathematical". In this regard, a special attention is paid to thetemporality of "mathematical existence". The paper invites newforms of a dialogue between phenomenology and philosophy of mathematics.

REVIEW ARTICLE

Enrico Vicinelli Polucci, Henry-Studien in Italien

Abstract: C. Canullo, La fenomenologiarovesciata. Percorsi tentati in Jean-Luc Marion, Michel Herny e Jean-LuisChrétien, Rosemberg & Sellier, Torino, 2004; C. Canullo (Hg.), Henry:narrare il pathos, eum, Macerata, 2007; G. De Simone, La rivelazione dellavita. Cristianesimo e filosofia in Michel Henry. Il pozzo di Giacobbe,Trapani, 2007; E. Marini, Vita, corpo e affettivita nella fenomenologia diMichel Henry, Cittadella, Assisi, 2005; G. Molteni, Introduzione a MichelHenry. La svolta fenomenologica, Mimesis, Milano, 2005; G. Sansonetti, MichelHenry. Fenomenologia Vita Cristianesimo, Morcelliana, Brescia, 2006; A. P.Viola, Dal corpo alla carne. La proposta fenomenologica di Michel Henry inIncarnazione, Sciascia, Caltanissetta-Roma, 2005.

BOOK REVIEWS

Michel Henry, Worte Christi (Rolf Kühn); Michel Henry, „Ich bin die Wahrheit.“ Für eine Philosophie des Christentums (Sarah Helduser); Rolf Kühn, Subjektive Praxis und Geschichte — Phänomenologie politischer Aktualität (Sebastian Knöpker); Raphaël Gély, Rôles, action sociale et vie subjectives. Recherches à partir de la phénoménologie de Michel Henry (Eric Faÿ); Antoine Vidalin, La Parole de la Vie. La phénoménologie de Michel Henry et l’intelligence chrétienne des Ecritures (Rolf Kühn); John Mullarkey, Post Continental Philosophy (Michael O’Neill Burns); Sébastien Laoureux, Immanence à la limite. Recherches sur la phénoménologie de Michel Henry (Paul Terec); Francesco Saverio Trincia, Husserl, Freud e il problema dell’inconscio (Alice Pugilese).