Reiner Schürmann’s Phenomenology of Ultimates

Presented by Ed Stroupe

The late 20th century philosopher Reiner Schürmann (1941-1993) made some profound observations pertaining to the essential weaknesses or flaws contained in the classic philosophical stance that all great understanding must come from some fundamental principle, or some set of such principles.
Born in Amsterdam of German parents, Schürmann was Professor and Director of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City from 1975 until his untimely death in 1993.
On Sept 14, we will discuss one of the theses from his final, posthumously published book, Broken Hegemonies. His overall thesis is that each philosophical era or epoch is both instituted (founded and defined), and later destituted (ended) by one specific thought or concept originating from one or two specific philosophical thinkers. The defining principle he terms a “hegemonic fantasm.” All thinking during an era is shaped and governed by such a “fantasm.” We will look at this idea in reference to the modern era, whose hegemonic fantasm Schürmann claims to be consciousness, or more specifically, self-consciousness.

Reading: here