Ingarden was a
realist phenomenologist and thus did not accept Husserl's
transcendental idealism. His training was phenomenological; thus, his work as a whole was directed towards
ontology. That is why Ingarden is one of the most renowned phenomenological ontologists, as he strove to describe the ontological structure and state of being of various objects based on the essential features of any experience that could provide such knowledge. The best-known works of Ingarden, and the only ones widely-known to English-speaking readers, concern
aesthetics and
literature. His most popular book, for instance, was
The Literary Work of Art, which explored the
concept of the literary
work of art. In this book, Ingarden argued that a literary work of art is a purely
intentional object and is a product of the author's
conscious acts. In his stratification of literary work of art, he cited that aesthetic value is the polyphonic harmony that arises between these strata of meaning. The exclusive focus on Ingarden's work in
aesthetics does not reflect Ingarden's overall philosophical standpoint, which is focused on the ideas regarding
formal,
existential, and
material ontology set forth in his
The Controversy over the Existence of the World. In his aesthetic investigations, Ingarden considered aesthetics as an integral part of philosophy. He argued that his aesthetic theory is not only an
analysis of art but an approach that answers basic philosophical issues. Ingarden also attempted to establish a phenomenological circle at Lvov. The group, which focused on aesthetics and
descriptive psychology, attracted some of Twardowski's students including Leopold Blaustein and
Eugénie Ginsberg. Ingarden was a close associate of
Edith Stein. He came to her defense when her work with Husserl was challenged. Ingarden wrote his autobiography in 1949. This work, which was written in third person, was one of the three biographies he submitted to
Władysław Tatarkiewicz, who was then revising his
Historia filozofii (History of philosophy). The philosopher had also undertaken work for Husserl.
Main works in German •
Intuition und Intellekt bei Henri Bergson, Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1921 •
Essentiale Fragen. Ein Beitrag zum Problem des Wesens, Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1925 •
Das literarische Kunstwerk. Eine Untersuchung aus dem Grenzgebiet der Ontologie, Logik und Literaturwissenschaft, Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1931 •
Untersuchungen zur Ontologie der Kunst: Musikwerk. Bild. Architektur. Film, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1962 •
Der Streit um die Existenz der Welt, Bd. I, II/I, II/2. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1964 •
Vom Erkennen des literarischen Kunstwerks, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1968 •
Erlebnis, Kunstwerk und Wert. Vorträge zur Ästhetik 1937-1967, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1969 •
Über die Verantwortung. Ihre ontischen Fundamente, Stuttgart: Reclam, 1970 •
Über die kausale Struktur der realen Welt. Der Streit um die Existenz der Welt, Band III, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1974
Main works in Polish • •
O poznawaniu dzieła literackiego (
The Cognition of the Literary Work of Art), Ossolineum, Lwów: 1937 •
O budowie obrazu. Szkic z teorii sztuki (
On the Structure of Paintings: A Sketch of the Theory of Art), Rozprawy Wydziału Filozoficznego PAU Vol. LXVII, No.2, Kraków, 1946 •
O dziele architektury (On Architectural Works), Nauka i Sztuka, Vol. II, 1946, No. 1, pp. 3-26 and No. 2, pp. 26-51 •
Spór o istnienie Świata (Controversy over the Existence of the World), PAU, Vol. I, Kraków: 1947, Vol. II, Kraków, 1948 •
Szkice z filozofii literatury (Sketches on the Philosophy of Literature), Vol. 1, Spółdzielnia wydawnicza "Polonista," Łódz, 1947 •
Elementy dzieła muzycznego (The Elements of Musical Works), Sprawozdania Towarzystwa Naukowego w Toruniu, Vol. IX, 1955, Nos. 1-4, pp. 82-84 •
Studia z estetyki (Studies in Aesthetics), PWN, Vol. I Warszawa, 1957, Vol. II, Warszawa, 1958 •
O dziele literackim (On Literary Works). PWN, Warszawa, 1960 •
Przeżycie - dzieło - wartość (Experience - Work of Art - Value). Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków, 1966 •
Studia z estetyki Tom III (Studies in Aesthetics, Vol. III), PWN, Warszawa, 1970 •
U podstaw teorii poznania (At the Foundations of the Theory of Knowledge), PWN, Warszawa, 1971 •
Książeczka o człowieku (Little Book About Man), Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków, 1972. •
Utwór muzyczny i sprawa jego tożsamości (The Work of Music and the Problem of Its Identity), Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Warszawa, 1973.
Main works translated into English •
Controversy over the Existence of the World. Volumes I and II, translated by Arthur Szylewicz, Bern: Peter Lang, 2013 / 2016. •
Time and Modes of Being, (selection from
Der Streit), translated by Helen R. Michejda. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, 1964. •
The Cognition of the Literary Work of Art, Translated by Ruth Ann Crowley and Kenneth R. Olson. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1973. •
The Literary Work of Art, Translated by George G. Grabowicz. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1973. •
Letter to Husserl about the VI [Logical] Investigation and ‘Idealism’ In Tymieniecka, 1976. •
Man and Value, Translated by Arthur Szylewicz. München: Philosophia Verlag, 1983. •
On the Motives which led Edmund Husserl to Transcendental Idealism, Translated by Arnor Hannibalsson. The Hague: 1976. •
The Ontology of the Work of Art, Translated by Raymond Meyer with John T. Goldthwait. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1989. •
Selected Papers in Aesthetics, Ed. by Peter J. McCormick, München: Philosophia Verlag,1985. •
The Work of Music and the Problem of Its Identity, Translated by Adam Czerniawski. London: Macmillan, 1986. ==See also==