by Nikki Albert

Created on: November 01, 2010

 Phenomenology: Heidegger & Husserl

Phenomenology is a method used by Husserl and then his student Heidegger to carry out philosophy. Husserl like Descartes thinks we need to start philosophy from a firm foundation without presuppositions; from there we can gain universal knowledge. Husserl is interested primarily in epistemology. Heidegger on the other hand thinks that ontology is more fundamental. The idea is to look at things-in-themselves. Phenomenology is the study of the origin of phenomena (things) in our lived experience.

Another difference between Husserl and Heidegger is that Husserl believes we can be unbiased, neutral and impartial to look at things. Heidegger thinks this is impossible. Heidegger thinks this because humans always have an interest, words already carry a world of meaning, and thus we are always in a context.

Husserl

Husserl’s definition of phenomenology is “’a descriptive theory of the essence of pure transcendental experiences… which has its own justification.’”, (Macann, Christopher. P. 31.). Thus for Husserl the phenomenological method “is a method of transcendental reflection, and a considerable amount of time is spent establishing and justifying the relevant concept of reflection.”, (Macann, Christopher. P. 31). Reflection in the sense where “the self becomes an object of reflection.”, (Macann, Christopher. P. 32). In phenomenology we are then to look at our looking; the subject does not just look at the object, but looks at its looking at the object. The problem with science is that it does not look at its presuppositions, biases and so forth. This attempt to find how to know involves consciousness. When Husserl uses the term intentionally he is referring to the fact that consciousness is consciousness of something. Consciousness is “the foundation of reality in its entirety.”, (Macann, Christopher. P. 32). Consciousness is always directed towards something; always an act. So we look at the nature of consciousness and how it directs itself and at the interrelationship between subject and object. It seems to me that we can look at ‘things’ in the external world, try to be objective, describe its characteristics and properties. The important use of phenomenology is that it goes one step beyond that and looks at how we are looking; looks at how the acts of consciousness work. Any act of consciousness can be looked at whether it be memory,

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