Topic relevance as the basic structuration of the field of consciousness

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA E RICERCA SOCIALE
Author/s Carlos Belvedere
Publishing Year 2021 Issue 2021/124
Language English Pages 15 P. 37-51 File size 212 KB
DOI 10.3280/SR2021-124003
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My aim is to depict Schutz’s theory of topic relevance as his own distinctive phenomenology of consciousness. I will show that his conception of consciousness is elaborated from at least three types of elements. First, I will disclose Husserl’s influence on Schutz in this matter. I will list a few Husserlian terms that Schutz takes into consideration such as noema, horizon, parts and wholes, attentional ray and passive synthesis. Second, I will show that Schutz turns to Gurwitsch’s idea that consciousness is a field of experience where the previously listed elements are held together and find their relational meaning. Third, I will expose how all these elements taken from Husserl and Gurwitsch are reinterpreted by Schutz as being relative to relevance as a basic phenomenon of our mind’s selective activity which puts at work different levels of our personality according to the schizophrenic ego hypothesis.

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Carlos Belvedere, Topic relevance as the basic structuration of the field of consciousness in "SOCIOLOGIA E RICERCA SOCIALE " 124/2021, pp 37-51, DOI: 10.3280/SR2021-124003