Phenomenology, << fuh `nom` uh NOL uh jee, >> is a philosophy that was developed by the German philosopher Edmund Husserl in the early 1900’s. Husserl wanted to understand how consciousness works in order to better understand human experience. Consciousness refers to the power of the mind to be aware of acts, sensations, and emotions. Husserl believed that everything we know about reality derives from our consciousness.
For phenomenologists, experience has two parts. The first part consists of objects of consciousness (the things of which one is conscious). Objects of consciousness, which include material objects, ideas, and wishes, are called phenomena. The second part of experience consists of acts of consciousness, such as perceiving, believing, thinking, and desiring. Phenomenologists believe that all acts of consciousness are related to objects of consciousness and thus must also be considered phenomena. This relationship is called intentionality.
The phenomenological method starts with the theory that people normally make certain assumptions about their experiences. They consider the things they have been taught, and remember past experiences. Such presuppositions limit their experiencing of phenomena. Phenomenologists realize that it is impossible to entirely eliminate these presuppositions from the mind. Instead, they try to expand their experiencing of phenomena by dealing with the presuppositions critically. One critical method involves fantasy variations. The philosopher varies the presuppositions, imagining how the experience would be perceived under varying circumstances. The features of the experience that remain constant despite the variations are considered its essence.
Husserl has had many followers. They include the French psychologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty and the German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Both men argued that phenomenology should not be limited to an analysis of consciousness. Instead, they used the phenomenological method to analyze human existence in general. The method has also been successfully applied to specific fields, such as anthropology, law psychiatry, psychology, religion, and sociology.
See also Consciousness .
