Skip to content

Phenomenology and the Practice of Science

Amedeo Giorgi

Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis 2010 DOI: 10.65828/sfxgt918 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Philosophy of mind
Key points Argues that methodological errors in phenomenological social science stem from conflating phenomenology as a philosophy with phenomenology as a theory of science, and that these errors violate good scientific practice and the phenomenological perspective itself. Contends that a fully developed phenomenological theory of science is needed to resolve such ambiguities.

Abstract

Phenomenology is a relatively new philosophy with some distinguishable features and when social scientists base their research methods on that perspective sometimes variations in methods take place that are attributed to phenomenology but the variations are not necessarily consistent with the phenomenological perspective nor with good scientific practices. When the modifications are not consistent it is usually because the claim is based on the failure to distinguish between phenomenology as a philosophy and phenomenology as a theory of science. Such ambiguities can arise because there is not as yet a fully developed phenomenological theory of science even though its articulation is sorely needed. In this article, some examples of the types of methodical errors practiced by promoters of the phenomenological approach that exist in the literature are examined. The conclusion reached is that the methodical errors are due to violations of principles of good science and the modifications are not consistent with the phenomenological perspective.

Comparable studies

Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. 2003 Theoretical or philosophical paper
From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. 2005 Theoretical or philosophical paper
How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). 2017 Theoretical or philosophical paper
The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. 2013 Theoretical or philosophical paper
Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution 2017 Theoretical or philosophical paper

Citations in the library

Cited by 4

Related reading

Explore topics

Philosophy of mind