Augustine's "Confessions" and transcendental-phenomenological reflection

The article reveals the philosophical method of Augustine Aurelius and the phenomenological methodology of Edmund Husserl in a comparative perspective. The author analyzes literature showing scientific interest in the comparative analysis of texts by Augustin and E. Husserl, and demonstrates the difference of approaches to the historical and philosophical study of the relationship between Augustine’s philosophy the E. Husserl’s phenomenology. This difference is based, on the one hand, on the method used to compare the philosophical concepts, on the other hand, on the emphasis made on the speculative position of the interpreted author. The interpretation of Augustine’s text from the phenomenological perspective reveals the description of the immanent sphere made by the medieval philosopher and clarifies the phenomenological description of E. Husserl’s time. It is shown that their methods of describing reality and procedures of operation with experience have common forms. The article shows the correspondence between the «confession» practice described by Augustine and the experience of phenomenological description carried out in the state of «epoche», since the process of «con- fession» involves «self-gathering» within the time series. This process is identical to the transcendental-phenomenological reflection and different from the natural reflection, which splits the subject into several ego-structures. Using this parallel, we can talk about the substantive proximity of the concepts «inner man» and transcendental ego, as well as «outer man» and man of «natural attitude». These theses are based on the analysis of Augustine’s «Confessions» (chapters X and XI) and the text of «Cartesian Reflections» by E. Husserl. In addition, the author based on the ideas of J. Derrida from the book «Voice and Phenomenon», which greatly helped to clarify the construction of the phenomenological ego and compare the descriptions of Augustine and E. Husserl.