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Questions tagged [phenomenology]

Phenomenology is a philosophical movement associated with Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Paul Sartre. It is also a philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness.

The following are sources of information about phenomenology.

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How does one know one is not dreaming?

How does one know one is not dreaming? How could one logically demonstrate to a skeptic that one is "really" there, awake and not just dreaming about the entire situation/world around him? What I'm asking is: which if any philosophers have addressed…
wizlog
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What are some good books on phenomenology for a mathematician?

I have a background in Mathematics, and am starting to wander into the complex realm of Philosophy. I'm interested in trying to understand what is the meaning of the scientific investigation in relation with natural "reality" (an undefined term for…
marco trevi
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How can you support the idea of qualia as distinct from neuronal firing when you only experience one thing?

Physicalists are people who equate brain states with mental states. There are people in this category; and yet there are many people who do not hold this view. Such people hold that there is an ontological difference between phenomenological…
stoicfury
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How do epiphenomenalists make sense of discussions about qualia?

Epiphenomenalists believe that mental events have no causal effect on the physical. They may differ in what they consider "mental events" but it seems all of them would consider qualia / phenomenal experiences mental events. Now, if someone writes…
present
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What does the "meaning of Being" mean in Being and Time?

I read Being and Time a few years ago, but it seems to me the question is only partially answered there. He deals with the question of whether Being is "indefinable" very early on [p 4]. He claims that Being is not an entity, and so not amenable to…
user6917
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What does Husserl mean by essences?

Husserl insists on two "reductions" in his pure phenomenology. The second reduction is a separation of the existence of ourselves and our attitudes and "their observable essences (Taylor Carman , Forward for Being and Time). Is Husserl's definition…
David
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Are there some facets of perceptual experience which cannot be characterized as conceptual?

Some philosophers (e.g John McDowell) argue that the content of perceptual experience is necessarily characterized by conceptual terms; namely - the content of the experience is entirely built of concepts possessed by the subject of experience.…
Jordan S
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Why distrust our senses?

It seems self-evident that the phenomena we sense are accurate and correlate to the real world. What sorts of philosophical arguments might cast doubt on this conviction in the veridicality of perception?
brentonstrine
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What is meant by transcendental phenomenology?

... as opposed to "phenomenology." I suspect transcendental phenomenology refers specifically to some of Edmund Husserl's studies. But I would like to understand what was meant by them. I am finding the Wikipedia and Phenomenology Online…
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Is meditation valid to study consciousness scientifically?

In the study of consciousness, neuroscience observes mental phenomena through physical correlations, using techniques such as fMRI, PET and EEG. These are considered valid and reproductible, and can be used to validate theories about the…
Andre Resende
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What is the difference between formal and "realised" belief?

A distinction I have come across in some of Zizek's informal lectures, as well as in my own ponderings, is that which describes those beliefs which, although we know formally to be true, we do not experience the world as if they were true. As an…
Tom Boardman
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What does the "essence of time" mean for Merleau-Ponty?

“it is of the essence of time to be not only actual time, or time which flows, but also time which is aware of itself … the archetype of the relationship of self to self” What does he mean by 'essence'? Is it the to my mind pretty…
user6917
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How does Husserl's "bracketing" secure a truly presuppositionless study?

I'm reading from an anthology of essays by and about Husserl (collected by Joseph Kockelmans): More specifically, Husserl makes a strong argument against some of the internal problems of various natural sciences and philosophical methods. However,…
Andres Mejia
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Philosophy of Philosophy and Experience

Possible Duplicate: What is the practical use of philosophy? Does philosophy move us toward a deeper understanding of the human condition, or does philosophy push us away from understanding the human condition (thru "detactment")? It was…
REX
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Can our sense of touch deceive us?

Descartes says that the senses deceive us. I agree for all senses, except for the tactile sense (i.e., when you touch something). It's clear there are optical illusions, but there appear to be no tactile illusions. When we touch something, we know…
The Student
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