Ego

The Ego, in phenomenology (particularly Sartre’s and Husserl’s usage), is the self or “I” that is the apparent subject of experience. It exists only as an object of reflective consciousness—appearing when consciousness reflects on itself—rather than as a repudiated entity or constituent of consciousness’s nature. It is characterized as a transcendent unity of states, qualities, and acts, pointing to a structure that transcends immediate, pre-reflective awareness.

Claims that use this term

• The Ego exists as an object of pre-reflective consciousness, not as a repudiated entity.
• The Ego appears only when consciousness reflects on itself.
• The Ego is a transcendent in-itself, not of consciousness’s nature.
• The Ego is a transcendent unity of states, qualities, and acts