Phenomenology at the threshold of acoustics
Jean-Baptiste Fournier
Routledge eBooks October 29, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781042025640-17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that sound phenomena challenge the visually derived model of spatial constitution in Husserl's transcendental phenomenology, since Husserl treated strong objectivity through vision and confined sound largely to illustrating inner temporality. Proposes that thinking sound space requires rearticulating time and space, and that this foundation can be accomplished only by joining transcendental phenomenology with empirical acoustics. |
Abstract
In this article, Jean-Baptiste Fournier highlights the difficulties posed not only to phenomenology but more generally to transcendental philosophy regarding the status of sound phenomena and their deployment in space. He demonstrates that the paradigm of sound perception shakes the model of spatial constitution that is predominantly derived from the visual perception paradigm. He examines the different layers of phenomenological constitution, not only of an auditory field centered on the subject but also of a genuine objective auditory space, showing how, for Husserl, strong objectivity is always conceived through the lens of visual perception, with the description of sound phenomena primarily limited to illustrating the constitution of the internal temporality of consciousness. Thinking about sound space actually involves rearticulating time and space, fulfilling what could be considered the ultimate goal of transcendental philosophy: the temporal constitution of space. However, fully engaging with the transcendental proves to involve transcending its limits, as ultimately, it is in the rearticulation of transcendental phenomenology with empirical sciences, specifically acoustics, that this foundation can be accomplished.
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| 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 |