Letter from Felix Kaufmann written 09.10.1934

Author Felix Kaufmann

Category foreign researchers, incoming correspondence

Archive Archive of Science PAN and PAU in Cracow

Date of creation 9.10.1934

Related places Göttingen, Lviv, Prague, Vienna

Reference code in archive K_III-26_D_43

Resource type letter

Subject matter personal issues, publication isssues

Field phenomenology, philosophy

Tags #academic plans, #academic publications, #academic work, #conference in Prague, #Edmund Husserl, #Eugen Fink, #Felix Kaufmann, #financial issues, #Formal Structure of an Individual Object, #funding, #Göttingen, #Husserl's assistant, #Husserl's heritage, #Husserl's publications, #Husserl's students, #individual object, #Ingarden's paper, #Ingarden's works, #Kaufmann's works, #Ludwig Landgrebe, #Lviv, #manuscripts, #manuscripts publications, #Max Niemeyer, #meeting, #Methodology of Social Sciences, #Moritz Geiger, #phenomenology, #Prague, #publication of Husserl's works, #publications issues, #revisions, #The Literary Work of Art, #Vienna

Dr. Felix Kaufmann
Vienna, XIX.
Doblinger Hauptstrasse 90 Vienna, dated October 9, 1934

Professor Roman Ingarden
nLwów,
nJabłonowskich 4.

Dear Mr. Ingarden,

n Thank you very much for your kind letter dated September 20. I would like to apologize for taking so long to reply; however, I have been so extremely overwhelmed with many different types of work during the last three weeks that I just could not find any time to write.
n I was, of course, particularly interested in your report regarding your meeting with Husserl, and I am very happy to hear that he is doing well, although it is understandably sad for me to know you are under the impression that the new publications, especially the systematic summary of the basic ideas of the last years, will not materialize. It is thus all the more important to not let the body of thought which is embedded in the quite well-developed manuscripts get lost, and I would be delighted if I could contribute to this objective. However, I currently do not have a clear-cut plan because I am lacking data on the contents and the degree of detail of the manuscripts. Therefore, I truly hope I can have a detailed and pertinent discussion with Husserl and Fink. I am writing a letter to Professor Husserl today via carbon copy.
n The procurement of capital might be the most significant obstacle we will be facing. These difficulties are real, considering the present circumstances in America are worse than they were about five years ago; however, I don’t think they are insurmountable. Coming to an agreement with Niemeyer, on the other hand, should be much easier.
n I wholeheartedly agree with you that it will be particularly important to keep unwanted helpers at bay; however, we should consult with Husserl’s former students from Göttingen (first and foremost, Geiger). It would be most desirable if Husserl could work on the required revisions based on Fink’s detailed papers and on papers written by his former assistant Landgrebe, if needed.
n I am really looking forward to studying your work on “The Literary Work of Art”, which I ordered a while ago and which should be arriving in the next couple of days. I will be happy to send you my notes on your work once I am done reading it.
n In addition, I am looking forward to your promised paper on the “Formal Structure of an Individual Object” with great interest. The topic falls directly into the area of my present work on the “Methodology of Social Sciences”. By the way, I have been revising this manuscript thoroughly; therefore, it will take several more months before it will be ready to go to print.
n Again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for meeting you in Prague (it was like hitting the jackpot at the conference!).

n n n n Best regards from your sincerely devoted,

n n n n n Felix Kaufmann

My wife is also sending her best regards.