Jan Patocka and The Movements of

Human Existence
Primary Movement: Birth, Sinking Root, Anchoring
Secondary Movement: Self Extension, Infancy,
Growth, Work Existing, Standing out
Third Movement: Global Meaning.

The First Movement of Existence

Subjective Corporality

Harmony with the world

Relation with the primordial past always set
into the world
Corporality Body in the world -need and
wanting
Foundation of Affective life (2 subsequent
movements of existence dependent on the first)
Everyday Life: tools, use of things 'Mastery of
the body,' 'Sense of contact with thing.'
Orientation to the world

The First Movement of Existence

Subjective Corporality

First Movement of Existence temporal

dimension
Primary moment of existence a fundamental
situation Boundary Situation (Jaspers)
A situation of contingency
Contingencies: Biological, Situational,
Traditional (Customs), Individual (Skills)
Movement characterised by lack of self
understanding, self concealment, original
inauthenticity

The Second Movement of Human

Existence

The Second Movement of existence involves a

break with the first movement-repression /
forgetting of affectivity.
Break with Affective Paternal/Maternal Family
Life, early caregiving and being cared for
Emphasis on the Present tasks at hand
Present represses Past
Labour work emergence of independence in
dependency
Pragmata: concern with utensility, means for
ends, man as social role.

The Third Movement of Human

Existence

A unifying factor in the previous two movements

Existence in terms of global understanding and
meaning, self comprehension,
Movement as 'Truth' and 'Transcendence'
Movement of 'Self Achievement', realisation of
possibilities and acceptance of responsibility
Integration of finitude, and situatedness
Movement beyond anchoring roots or
development of being.....'a task for all of life in
its integrity' (1996:151)

The Third Movement of Human

Existence
Confrontation with human essence and
possibility, Being

Realisation of possibilities through activities

Accent on the Future -responsibility for realising
possibilities beyond the particulars of life
realisation of 'myself in my properly human
nature.' Breaking with the particular.
Shaking of our certainties....beyond social roles
'Care of the Soul' taking responsibility for our
manifestation.

The Third Movement of Human

Existence
Confrontation with human essence and
possibility, Being

Realisation of possibilities through activities

Accent on the Future -responsibility for realising
possibilities beyond the particulars of life
realisation of 'myself in my properly human
nature. Breaking with the particular.
Shaking of our certainties....beyond social roles
'Care of the Soul' taking responsibility for our
manifestation.

Schema of Three Movements of

Existence
Tr
an
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1
2

Self Achievement - Labour

en
de
nc

Sources

Evink, E. (2013) 'Surrender and Subjectivity: Merleau-Ponty and Patocka on

Intersubjectivity.' Meta. Vol.V. No 1. June. 13-28
Patocka, Jan. (1998) Body, Community, Language, World. ET. La Salle, ILL,
Open Court.
___________ (1996) Heretical Essays in the Philosophy of History. ET. La
Salle,ILL, Open Court.