Introduction

In this opening discussion, we present material that will provide a context in which Husserl’s phenomenology of aesthetic consciousness can be better understood. In this respect, Section I offers a brief outline of his general phenomenological philosophy (emphasizing apprehension, time-consciousness, and phantasy) that are most relevant for foregrounding cognitive contexts with special relevance to his aesthetic theory. A brief glossary of some of Husserl’s major technical terms is offered. In Section II, we offer an account of key developments in the tradition of phenomenological aesthetics, explaining and highlighting strengths and weaknesses in the aesthetic theories of Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Dufrenne, and Sartre.