The Seminarian based on Husserls Lebenswelt and Intersubjectivity, Heideggers Mitsein

and Schelers Values and Community

Contemporary Philosophy
By: Kristoffer Lorenz L. Basbao

Introduction
In this paper of mine, I would like to relate The Seminarian to the different philosophies of the
contemporary philosophers. These philosophies are Husserls Lebenswelt and Intersubjectivity,
Heideggers Mitsein and Schelers Values and Community. Speaking of the seminarians, they are
the ones who aspire to become priests. They are being prepared and formed for the priesthood in their
formation house called seminary. Before they become priests, they experience several trainings,
formations and recollections. In this way, the call to the priesthood is being intensified. I used Husserls
Intersubjectivity,

Heideggers

Mitsein

and

Schelers

Community

to

emphasize

the

interconnectedness of the subjects, the nature of man as relational beings and their quest to-be-in/withthe-community in relation to being a seminarian. Schelers Values will emphasize the psychological
side of man, his quest towards Holiness. Husserls Lebenswelt will emphasize the going back of the
seminarians to their natural attitude, their life-world, in relation to their relating-with the ordinary
people.
The Seminarian based on Intersubjectivity, Mitsein and Community
The seminarians, because of the humanity in them are Intersubjective. Husserls Theory of
Intersubjectivity is the theory that says that all subjects are interconnected and interrelated. The
interconnectedness of man is part of his very nature. Before we humans were born, we are already

interconnected in the We-World and in the We-Time. Being born in the real world reveals the
nature of man as interconnected. The interconnectedness of man is given. It is absolute and true. Being
conceived in the mothers womb shows the act of interconnectedness between the child and the mother.
All subjects are connected to other subjects. The seminarians are connected to the entire humanity and
other beings.
Another philosophy that can be related to the seminarians is Heideggers Mitsein. It shows
how relational man is. Mitsein means being-with. To be with needs an Other. In being with the
Other, relationship starts. We cannot achieve Mitsein without the Other. As relational beings, it is our
very nature to be in relation with. Because seminarians are humans, and like other humans, they
always have the tendency to be in relation with other beings. Mitsein shows that man is not in nature
solipsistic. In relation to the seminarians, seminarians should relate not only to the priests and other
seminarians but also to the ordinary or lay people (both rich and poor). The relationship must not be
exclusive especially to the opposite sex because as seminarians, to be strict about the rules, are not
allowed to have a girlfriend. They are not allowed to have a girlfriend because the relationship must not
focus to one person only, but for God, His church and all humanity.
Another philosophy that can be related to the seminarians is Schelers Community. The
seminarians, before they become priests, are already trained to live in the community. They live in the
seminary which is a community. They are also sent to their pastoral areas which is a community. They
are trained to be in/with the community because whether one becomes a parish priest and religious
priest, they still live in the community. The community is emphasized in the seminary because it is very
basic in the ministry. The priests serve not himself but the community. That is why, the seminary
formation emphasizes the community life. Like Jesus, the life of priests is offered for the community.
The life of the seminarians and priests is a quest to-be-in/with-the-community.

The Values of a Seminarian: The Fading of the I and the Quest to Communion
Aside from the community, one of the focuses of Max Schelers philosophy is Values.
Values is the phenomena of acts. Mans actions are based from what he/she values. Values can either
be good or bad. A person who does good actions values doing good acts while a person who does bad
actions values doing bad acts. The root of values is the liking and attraction. The first time one sees
it to an exemplar, he/she likes it without knowing the reason. The Values for Scheler is empirical but a
priori which is innate.
Personhood is the goal of humanity. Ones person can be known through his/her actions. Ones
actions reveal ones values and ones values reveal the person. Person is a good act done unto others. A
single act of good act does not make one a person. It is more than a habit. Its a continuous practice and
journey. For Scheler, as humans, it is the project we need to reach while we are living. In life, there are
four levels of values. These are survival values, spiritual values, moral values and the values of the holy.
The survival values are the lowest level of values man can achieve. The focus of it is survival and life. It
is usually the values of the children. The spiritual values are the values of appreciation to arts,
knowledge, language and sciences. As of now, the highest level of values man can achieve is the moral
values. There, personhood is achieved through doing good acts to other beings. It is achieved by
persons. The highest level of values which usually cannot be achieved is the values of the holy. It is
where the fading-of-the-I happens where one does not think of ones self anymore. It is the values of
the saints. Through the fading-of-the-I, communion happens.
Seminarians, as future priests, are to be persons of good acts. For me, the level of values we
seminarians should achieve is the moral values and the highest is the values of the holy. Of course we
cannot take for granted the survival values and the spiritual values because it is needed to achieve the
two higher levels of values. What I mean is, at least, ones highest level of values should be the moral

values or more than that which is the values of the holy. Seminarians and priests should represent Christ.
Because we represent Christ, we should have the values near to that of Christ. The values of Christ are
the values of the holy. In the values of the holy, it is where the fading-of-the-I happens. Christ forgets
Himself in order to save us for the good of all. There, the good acts are spontaneous and over-flowing. It
is more than the person. It is not just personhood. It is martyrdom.
The Going back to the Lebenswelt
Husserls Lebenswelt refers to the going back of the ego to the life-world. After one reaches
the transcendental attitude, one has to go back to the natural attitude and review or revisit the life-world.
The life-world includes relationships, human institutions, community, culture, language, worldview, etc.
It is the ordinary life and world where other egos live. This is Husserls realization and the impact of
Heideggers criticism to Husserls transcendental reduction.
In relation to the seminarians and the priests, after they have achieved the higher level of
themselves from all the trainings and preparations for the priesthood, they have to learn going back to
the level of the ordinary people, which is in the life-world. Ordinary people are not philosophers and
theologians. They would think different and their reality is not viewed as that of the seminarians and the
priests. That is why, seminarians and priests need to go back to the level of the ordinary/lay people and
listen and meet their views because they cannot go up immediately to the level of seminarians and
priests. Because priests and seminarians have to follow Christs example, it is them to go back to the
level of the ordinary people and not the ordinary people going back to their level. That is why, being a
priest and seminarian is a hard responsibility to take. One has to learn to fade ones ego in order to
achieve the level of the holy, which is that of Christ and the saints. Achieving it is martyrdom-killing
ones ego. After all the high level seminarians and priests can achieve, it is always important to go back
to the lebenswelt and dialogue with the ordinary people. There, communion happens.