ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Heidegger’s early reflections on the theoretical attitude of philosophy and his innovation of philosophical method. Heidegger equates the theoretical attitude with that of the metaphysical tradition and the positive sciences, and criticizes the theoretical attitude in the early Freiburg lectures. After discussing Heidegger’s criticism of the theoretical attitude, the applicability of this criticism to Husserl’s phenomenological attitude will be discussed. Contrary to earlier contributions to this discussion in the secondary literature, this chapter explores the possibility that Heidegger is concerned primarily not with the theoretical or pre-theoretical character of Husserl’s phenomenology, but with its character as attitude. In the first part of this chapter, this hypothesis is examined with reference to Heidegger’s early work. With this, Heidegger’s criticism of Husserl’s conceptualization of phenomenology will be served, as well as the systematic question of the attitude needed in contemporary phenomenological philosophy. Subsequently, Heidegger’s innovation of philosophical method will be discussed by focussing on his hermeneutic phenomenology of the theoretical attitude.
