Conferencia

LÓPEZ, DANIELA GRISELDA

Conferencia; Alfred Schutz Online reading Circle, SPHS - Society for Phenomenology & the Human Sciences; 2023

PHS - Society for Phenomenology & the Human Sciences

I first read The Phenomenology of the Social World in 2002. I was a sociology student at the University of Buenos Aires and had enrolled in a theoretical research seminar called “Subjectivity and Sociality.” As a student, I had always felt a leaning towards social theory and had read with great interest the works of Weber, Parsons, Bourdieu and many others. I had even read Schutz’s Collected Papers I. However, I distinctly remember the experience of reading the first chapter of The Phenomenology and the feeling of having discovered something truly valuable. What caught my attention the most was Schutz’s methodological tool, which he adopted from Husserl. This tool involved the general analysis of consciousness, considering both its static and genetic aspects. It was interesting for me to see how the study of temporal dimension infused dynamism and vitality into the traditional Weberian categories.From that moment on, I began to attentively read Schutz’s work, even though I didn’t always fully grasp the extent of his project. This became clearer to me, first, in the composition of my master’s dissertation on Schutz’s connections with the Austrian School of Economics and, later, with the writing of my doctoral dissertation on the Schutz-Parsons debate. During those years, I had the privilege of visiting the Alfred Schutz Archive at the University of Konstanz. There, I had the opportunity to peruse and handle books from Schutz’s personal library. This period was marked by intense learning and lively and passionate discussions.My presentation of Chapters II and III of The Phenomenology will be informed by my previous readings. I’ll also present the chapters with my own recent insights. I’ll pose some open questions from his work and would like to hear your thoughts afterward.