The structuring of the unity of the stream of consciousness in time based on § 39 of Husserl’s Lectures

Abstract

In this article, we present the structuring of the unity of the stream of consciousness (Bewusstseinsfluss) and its continuum through the analysis of retentive consciousness, longitudinal intentionality (Längsintentionalität), and temporal perception in Husserl, based on § 39 of the Lectures on the Phenomenology of the Internal Time-Consciousness. Our hypothesis is that these elements play fundamental roles in the ordering of temporal conscious experience, since retentive consciousness, as delineated by Husserl, not only retains the past but actively constitutes the continuous unity of the stream of consciousness, seamlessly integrating past experiences with the temporal now (Jetzt). This capacity is facilitated by the double intentionality of retention (doppelte Intentionalität der Retention), which allows consciousness to structure its temporal experiences in a continuous and cohesive manner. Additionally, longitudinal intentionality operates in the transformation of proto-sensations into more complex retentional structures, contributing decisively to the structuring of the temporal continuity of conscious experience. We also explore temporal perception in Husserlian phenomenology, highlighting how the interaction between the constitution of immanent (transcendental) time and the quasi-temporal insertion (quasi-zeitlich) of the phases of the stream of consciousness promotes a unified and continuous perception of time. We argue that this dynamic explains temporality in human experience and underscores the importance of the self-appearance (Selbsterscheinung) of the stream of consciousness for the cohesion of conscious life in Husserlian phenomenology.