Phenomenology: the science of

being
Kaysan Gerard O. Escobinas
What is phenomenology?
• Phenomenology examines patterns of subjective experience
and consciousness
• Based solely on consciousness
• Individuals will be influenced by others, but not same
experience
• Views social world as multiform structure:
- Inner-subjectivity refers to how someone's judgment is shaped
by personal opinions and feelings instead of outside influences. Subjectivity is
partially responsible for why one person loves an abstract painting while
another person hates it. (wikipedia.org)
- Group understanding/unity the state of being united or
joined as a whole. (wikipedia.org)
 Edmund Husserl (1859-1938)
• “Father of phenomenology”
• Married, with three children
• Studied mathematics,
led to empirical works
(Phenomenology)
• Influences ranged from
Descartes, Hume, Kant
 Husserl’s Ideas/Contributions
• Every certainty is questionable (Certainty is perfect
knowledge that has total security from error, or the mental state of being
without doubt.)

• Consciousness is where you will find ‘true’ meaning

behind actions. (Consciousness is the state or quality of awareness,
or, of being aware of an external object or something within oneself.)

• Time Consciousness: past events influence one’s

present consciousness/perception.
-In turn, allows unbiased & biased ‘time’ to be connected to draw
perceptions.
• Perception was based on retention and memory
- What one “sees” is based on past memories and reflection
Alfred Schutz (1899-1959)
 Alfred Schutz (1899-1959)
• Responsible for phenomenology's development into a
social science

• Key inspirations were Weber & Husserl

• Studied law & social science at the University of Vienna

• Husserl offered assistant role to Schutz

• Declined for ‘personal reasons’
• Corresponded throughout their lives
 Schutz’s Ideas/Contributions
• Must accept own existence & other’s existence
- Must reflect/observe other experience and relate/find understand from own
experience

- Can observe own experiences only in past, can observe ‘yours’ as they take place

• Leads to individuals coexisting, or having each consciousness

intertwining.

• We will see our actions as single act, not natural view of two separate
persons
- “Growing old together”
- Each act is influenced by others, but not the same experience.

• Therefore, experience is shared but consciousness is unique.

 Schutz’s Ideas/Contributions
• This shared experience leads us to our social world.
• Allows understanding of ‘united individualism’
• Can perceive same world & understand others with similar
experiences/subjective meanings
• Leading to social relationship or, “mutually related act of consciousness”.

• Social scientist should act as observer to detach self and biases.

• Stock of Knowledge: As observer, researcher must draw from own

experience to, “fill in blanks.” Individuals must also do this while
interacting. World is constructed by social group/life experiences
and allow them to create proper behaviors/actions
Peter Berger
 Peter Berger
• Born in Vienna, Austria

• Studied under Alfred Schutz

• Coauthored publications with wife,

Brigitte Berger
 Berger’s Contributions
• Social reality or perception is influenced by culture and experience

• “Knowledge” is developed and maintained through social situations

• Everyday life or reality is subjective and is originated through own

thoughts and actions (past & modifications)

• Social relationships allow subjective meanings to transfer into

objective/shared meanings.

• Reality is constantly recreated by external experiences

• Politics is what delivers social control and society’s ‘restrictions’

 Importance of Phenomenology
• Allows us to understand or “see” how social
structure develops.
• Breaks down individuals, ‘actors’ and view
why these actions are formed
• Explains how perceptions are gained,
molded, then used in everyday life
• Provides a methodological solution to a
scientific investigation of realist concepts.