Patočka:

a Phenomenological Philosophy for Politics

Abstract

The paper exposes some fundamental subjects of Jan Patočka's phenomenological philosophy (namely: the distinction between epojé and reduction; the autonomy of appearing; the movements of human existence, and history as shaking of meaning) with the purpose of showing how these make possible a reading of his philosophy as a political phenomenology or a phenomenology addressed to the question of the political. We argue that the philosopher presents subjectivity as a “protest” of appearing, an approach that places the problem of freedom and the foundation of community and democracy at the center of phenomenological concerns.