Consciousness And Object In Two Horizons Of Thought

This dissertation is, in essence, a dialogue between vijnaptimatrata and Husserl’s phenomenology, in which the leading issues are the consciousness and object. In the dissertation, the issues are discussed in five steps:1) summarizing the development routes of vijnaptimatrata and phenomenology. First, introducing the generation and development of vijnaptimatrata in Indian and China, which includes its origin in Early and Sectarian Buddhism, Asanga and Vasubandhu’s creation, the genealogy of ancient and contemporary theories, moreover, the three stages of its inheritance in China:Dashabhumika, Mahqyqnasagraha and Cittamatra. Second, sketching the tread of phenomenology, which includes the Intentionality Theory of Brentano (forerunner of phenomenology), Husserl’s phenomenology (descriptive, transcendental and genesis phenomenology), and various dimensions of the phenomenological movement:ethical and axiological dimension of Scheler, existential dimension of Heidegger’s, existentialism dimension of Sartre, body dimension of Merleau-Ponty,"others" dimension of Levinas, etc. Third, revealing a common "issue domain" between vijnaptimatrata and phenomenology:consciousness and object.2) consciousness and object:concepts and relation. First discussing and comparing two groups of core concepts in vijnaptimatrata and Husserl’s phenomenology:"vijnana" with "consciousness", and "artha" with "object". Then describing and comparing several groups of approximate theories of both sides upon the relation between consciousness and object, including the "alambana" and "be given","four functions" and "intentionality","vijnapti-matrata-a-artha" and "phenomenological reduction".3) conscious functions:time and construction. Consciousness unfolds itself within time, meanwhile, latter is constructed in the same process. Both vijnaptimatrata and Husserl’s phenomenology have chosen the perspective of consciousness as the starting point of their study of time. Vijnaptimatrata believes in "vijnana within trayo-dhvanah", yet Husserl revealed the internal structure of "inner temporary consciousness":"Retention","Urimpression" and "Protention". Vijnaptimatrata advocates that the basic function of vijnana is "transformation", which produces the artha. But in phenomenology, objects are constructed by consciousness, which means the "construction" is the basic function. Both vijnaptimatrata and Husserl’s phenomenology are guided by a certain teleology in their study of consciousness functions. In vijnaptimatrata, vijnana is considered more ultimate than artha, but the consciousness of common people cannot achieve the nirvana and the bodhi because of the shadowing of "worry" and "knowledge", unless "turn vijnana into prajna ". In Husserl’s phenomenology, the final purpose of the consciousness is the reconstruction of reason, even the phenomenology itself is nothing but a realization of reason.4) the unfolding of object:ego, others and the world. Object is something holding opposite position against the consciousness, but the consciousness is always something about ego. Ego, as a keystone connecting both sides, is not only subject, but also object. It unifies consciousness behaviors and object through "apperception". In vijnaptimatrata, manas-vijnana considers alaya-vijnana as ego, it is the root of four Mesa:atma-moha, atma-drsti, atma-mana, atma-sneha. Only break away with egocentrism, we could cut off klesa. In Husserl’s phenomenology, the concept of ego has experienced three stages:"empirical ego","pure ego" and "personal ego". It is accordant with the three stages of his phenomenology. In vijnaptimatrata, ego is a way leading to deconstruction, but in Husserl’s theory, ego is constructive."Other" is something besides ego, including other things and persons."Other" is the boundary of ego, therefore, the issue of "other" is actually a variation and extension of the issue of ego. In vijnaptimatrata,"other" is generated from the "seed" within alaya-vijnana. In Husserl’s theory,"other" was constituted by transcendental ego through "pairing","co-presentation" and "empathy". Ego becomes or constitutes "other", and so does "other". We construct a world of "intersubjectivity" through the interaction of ego and "other". From perspective of the relation between consciousness and object, the world is not only a whole of the objects constructed intentionally by a complexity of intersubjectivity, but also an ultimate horizon pre-given before all intentional construction. In vijnaptimatrata, the world itself is a world of pratityasamutpada based on "four conditions". However, Husserl’s world is a "life world":intuitive, subjective, pre-scientific and laying foundation for "scientific world",5) two approaches of consciousness philosophy. Through an overall comparison, the author thinks that the main difference between vijnaptimatrata and Husserl’s phenomenology lies in horizons:different purposes in existential-Ontology and epistemology, different features in religiousness and scientificalness. These two theories of consciousness philosophy originated in their own horizons of thought, therefore, the comparison of them cannot be done with the absence of a more universal horizon:the history. That means some reflection about the rise and fall of each theory would be necessary.At the end, discussing the current situation and possible approach of the consciousness philosophy, which can be concluded as "facing the differences, applying communication, realizing complementation"...