On Husserl’s Rational Teleology

Teleology is an important theme in western philosophy. Husserl also discussed this theme in his works, especially at the late years of his life time. But Husserl’s statement is neither systematical nor coherent, so it is of great necessary for us to make a relative integrated study. After that, the distinguishing features and significant functions of teleology in Husserlian phenomenology would be indicated and also a basis for fixing Husserl’s position in western teleology research could be provided.According to other themes which Husserl’s teleology involved, we can investigate from three aspects as the following:We will discuss the subjective teleology in chapter one. Firstly, the dynamical structure of teleology between intention and fulfilling and also the teleological tendency of protention in the consciousness of internal time will be handled. This is the basis for Husserlian teleology research, because intentional epistemology and temporal structure are starting points of all phenomenological studies, the teleological tendency of any other aspects must be traced back to this basis. Secondly, we will examine the instinctive teleology of subject at the stage of passive genesis. According to Husserl’s genetic phenomenology, there are always laws governing the process of passive genesis, and the teleological character of instinct which lying at the bottom of passive genesis is ever distinguished. Husserl stressed many times that instincts and impulses are foundations for inter-subjective teleology which represents a higher teleological progress. So following we are going to think about this active and higher form of teleology which can lead us to the discussion of chapter two and chapter three.In the second chapter the historical teleology is our focus. It is not only an important part of Husserlian teleology, but also a relative coherent one. Considering Husserl’s transform of the attitude towards history, we have to firstly deal with the relationship between history and phenomenology. In section two the decisive role ofidealization in the history of idea will be highlighted, it is this idealization that leads to the develop direction of modern natural science or even humanities and brings about a series of crisis. Husserl describes this development as anti-teleological, and we have to return to the life-world and transcendental subjectivity if we want to overcome this kind of development. This returning means a recovery of the teleology in transcendental subjectivity. After that, we can elaborate Husserl’s idea of philosophical teleology and the tradition of this idea in section three. Husserl views his phenomenology as a result or purpose of ancient Greek philosophy and especially modern subjective philosophy. The development of philosophy is described then as a process of teleology.The phenomenological metaphysics includes monadology, teleology and theology,so we will discuss teleology in the context of metaphysics in the last chapter. At first is the relation of monadology to teleology. We are going to say that it is the differences between Husserl’s teleology and Leibniz’ pre-established harmony that represent the different characters of their metaphysics. Following that is the connection of ethics with teleology. In this section we will analyse the development of Husserl’s ethics and then point out the function of teleology in it. An implicated intention of this analysis is revealing the teleological structure of form-material schema in Husserl’s ethics. As is known that the problem of supreme good in ethics is also a theological problem, so we will at last probe into theology which concerning about the ultimate and supreme problems. Phenomenological theology is absolutely different from traditional theology because of the rational character of phenomenology. But how such a theology can be established? Maybe there is not enough time for Husserl to answer this question, but only make clear some directions of further consideration, e.g. we can probably approximate God through teleology.