The phenomenology of Japanese dry landscape gardens: Aesthetic and Contemplative “Ways of Seeing”“Phenomenology,” says Lisa Guenther, “begins with a description of lived experience and reflects on the structures that make this experience possible and meaningful.” Taking our lead from this simple yet instructive description of the phenomenological approach, this paper will explore the...
This paper argues that the Husserlian notion of “passive synthesis” can make a substantial contribution to the understanding of aesthetic experience. The argument is based on two empirical cases of qualitative interview material obtained from museum visitors and a world-renowned string quartet, which show that aesthetic experience contains an irreducible dimension of passive undergoing and...