Key Arguments

• Husserl distinguishes the fleeting act from its lasting effect: "the fleeting act passes; but from now on I am abidingly the Ego who is thus and so decided, / 'I am of this conviction'."
• He clarifies that this enduring property is more than mere rememberability: "That, however, does not signify merely that I remember the act or can remember it later. This I can do, even if meanwhile I have 'given up' my conviction. After cancellation it is no longer my conviction; but it has remained abidingly my conviction up to then."
• As long as the conviction remains accepted, I can always find it as mine: "As long as it is accepted by me, I can 'return' to it repeatedly, and repeatedly find it as mine, habitually my own opinion or, correlatively, find myself as the Ego who is convinced, who, as the persisting Ego, is determined by this abiding habitus or state."
• He generalizes the structure from theoretical conviction to practical and axiological decisions: "Likewise in the case of decisions of every other kind, value-decisions, volitional decisions. I decide; the act-process vanishes but the decision persists; whether I become passive and sink into heavy sleep or live in other acts, the decision continues to be accepted and, correlatively, I am so decided from then on, as long as I do not give the decision up."
• Even when a decision is fulfilled in a deed it still persists in a modified mode: "If it aims at a terminating deed, it is not 'revoked' by the deed that fulfills it; in the mode characteristic of fulfilled decision it continues to be accepted: 'I continue to stand by my deed'."
• Husserl notes that repudiating decisions or deeds changes the ego itself: "I myself, who am persisting in my abiding volition, becomed changed if I 'cancel' my decisions or repudiate my deeds.", indicating that the ego’s identity is dynamically shaped by the modification of these habitual properties.

Source Quotes

Rather, according to a law of “transcendental generation”, with every act emanating from him and having a new objective sense, he acquires a new abiding property. For example: If, in an act of judgment, I decide for the first time in favor of a being and a being-thus, the fleeting act passes; but from now on I am abidingly the Ego who is thus and so decided, / “I am of this conviction”. That, however, does not signify merely that I remember the act or can remember it later.

For example: If, in an act of judgment, I decide for the first time in favor of a being and a being-thus, the fleeting act passes; but from now on I am abidingly the Ego who is thus and so decided, / “I am of this conviction”. That, however, does not signify merely that I remember the act or can remember it later. This I can do, even if meanwhile I have “given up” my conviction. After cancellation it is no longer my conviction; but it has remained abidingly my conviction up to then. As long as it is accepted by me, I can “return” to it repeatedly, and repeatedly find it as mine, habitually my own opinion or, correlatively, find myself as the Ego who is convinced, who, as the persisting Ego, is determined by this abiding habitus or state.

After cancellation it is no longer my conviction; but it has remained abidingly my conviction up to then. As long as it is accepted by me, I can “return” to it repeatedly, and repeatedly find it as mine, habitually my own opinion or, correlatively, find myself as the Ego who is convinced, who, as the persisting Ego, is determined by this abiding habitus or state. Likewise in the case of decisions of every other kind, value-decisions, volitional decisions.

As long as it is accepted by me, I can “return” to it repeatedly, and repeatedly find it as mine, habitually my own opinion or, correlatively, find myself as the Ego who is convinced, who, as the persisting Ego, is determined by this abiding habitus or state. Likewise in the case of decisions of every other kind, value-decisions, volitional decisions. I decide; the act-process vanishes but the decision persists; whether I become passive and sink into heavy sleep or live in other acts, the decision continues to be accepted and, correlatively, I am so decided from then on, as long as I do not give the decision up. If it aims at a terminating deed, it is not “revoked” by the deed that fulfills it; in the mode characteristic of fulfilled decision it continues to be accepted: “I continue to stand by my deed”.

I decide; the act-process vanishes but the decision persists; whether I become passive and sink into heavy sleep or live in other acts, the decision continues to be accepted and, correlatively, I am so decided from then on, as long as I do not give the decision up. If it aims at a terminating deed, it is not “revoked” by the deed that fulfills it; in the mode characteristic of fulfilled decision it continues to be accepted: “I continue to stand by my deed”. I myself, who am persisting in my abiding volition, becomed changed if I “cancel” my decisions or repudiate my deeds.

Key Concepts

• the fleeting act passes; but from now on I am abidingly the Ego who is thus and so decided, / “I am of this conviction”.
• That, however, does not signify merely that I remember the act or can remember it later. This I can do, even if meanwhile I have “given up” my conviction. After cancellation it is no longer my conviction; but it has remained abidingly my conviction up to then.
• As long as it is accepted by me, I can “return” to it repeatedly, and repeatedly find it as mine, habitually my own opinion or, correlatively, find myself as the Ego who is convinced, who, as the persisting Ego, is determined by this abiding habitus or state.
• Likewise in the case of decisions of every other kind, value-decisions, volitional decisions. I decide; the act-process vanishes but the decision persists; whether I become passive and sink into heavy sleep or live in other acts, the decision continues to be accepted and, correlatively, I am so decided from then on, as long as I do not give the decision up.
• If it aims at a terminating deed, it is not “revoked” by the deed that fulfills it; in the mode characteristic of fulfilled decision it continues to be accepted: “I continue to stand by my deed”.

Context

Central portion of §32, where Husserl explicates how judgments, value-decisions, and volitional decisions leave behind lasting ‘habitualities’ that determine the ego’s enduring convictions, stances, and personal character.