Phenomenology (Philosophy)

As a branch of philosophy, phenomenology is the study of consciousness and the objects of focus [Page 800]within our private mental experience. In this entry, Edmund Husserl, the founder of phenomenology, will be discussed, along with his connection to early experimental psychology, as well as intentionality, bracketing, and direct reference as they relate to phenomenology. As psychology evolved into an autonomous science during the late 19th century, its agenda was steeped less in historical philosophical dogmas and agendas and more in the exploration of conscious experience and its attributes. Phenomena are the direct, central objects of attention. Our awareness of phenomena is instantaneous, even if their meaning is not. These raw, “unprocessed” mental events occur without analysis, opinion, or judgment. Indeed, the phenomenological approach to ...