Intentionality
(Lat. intentio, from intendere, to stretch) The property of consciousness whereby it refers to or intends an object. The intentional object is not necessarily a real or existent thing but is merely that which the mental act is about. Intentionality is the modern equivalent of the Scholastic intentio. — L.W.
(Ger. Intentionalitt) In Husserl
(broadest sense) The character of anything as “intending” or pointing beyond itself, self-transcendence.
(most frequent sense) The character of consciousness as pointing; beyond itself, as consciousness of something, and as having its horizon of co-intendingsnoetic intentionality.
The character of an object other than consciousness itself as pointing beyond itself, e.g., to its objective background or to something that it represents or indicatesobjective intentionality.
The character of a modality as pointing back to the original of which it is intrinsically a modification.
See phenomenology. — D.C.