2 Edmund Husserl - phenomenology Flashcards

1
Q

Key features of Phenomenology

A

o What we observe is not the object – or a ‘fact’ – as it is in itself, but how it is given in our intentional acts.
o One has to distinguish between the act of consciousness perception and the phenomenon at which it is directed (the object-in-itself, transcendent to consciousness)
o Knowledge of essences would only be possible by ‘bracketing’ all assumptions about the existence of an external world and the inessential (subjective) aspects of how the object is concretely given to us.
o The ways in which we direct ourselves toward and perceive those objects is normally conceived of in what he called the ‘natural standpoint’
o The ‘natural standpoint’ is characterized by a belief that objects materially exist and exhibit properties that we see as emanating from them
o Husserl proposed a radical new way of looking at objects by examining how we, in our many ways of being intentionally directed toward them, actually ‘constitute’ them.
o In the phenomenological way of looking, the object ceases to be something simply ‘external’ and ceases to be seen as providing indicators about what it is.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Edmund Husserl

A

Was convinced that the human sciences are very different from the natural sciences, and that their methods should take this into account. For him Human being is not a neutral and dead thing, but a living, experiencing and thinking creature, who did not just follow natural laws, but who could make up their own mind, and take their own decisions. For him there is no way, we could observe the world around us objectively, like August Comte suggested. For him it was clear, that we do not have direct access to the facts. In our observations we are always influenced by our current attitude towards the world. How we observe the world, depends on our subjective perspective. So for Husserl, we do not observe facts, but we observe how these facts, appear to us, from our subjective perspective. These appearances are what he designates as Phenomena. Only if we understand our own perspective, if we understand the structure of our experiences, and the way we subjectively perceive our surroundings, we can get closer to the essence of the things out there.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Observations

A

Our observations are not just external, but partly also determined internally, and therefore related to our current perspective, our current situation, and our current doings, as well as our past experiences. The context of the observation makes a difference. Therefore, observations are also not universal but always contingent. Of course, this is not just true for the people we investigate, but also for the researcher him or herself. So there is a double contingency involved. So in contrast to the positivistic assumptions, we cannot objectively observe facts, and explain causal relationships, but we can at best try to interpret what we think we see, when we take all the involved subjectivities into account, and try to understand what is going on. This is the foundation of an interpretive approach, of an interpretive qualitative methodology.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly