What is phenomenology?

By Professor Algis Mickunas

“As good a place to begin as any is the meaning of the term phenomenology itself. It is derived from the two Greek words: phainomenon (an “appearance”) and logos (”reason” or “word,” hence a “reasoned inquiry”). Phenomenology is indeed a reasoned inquiry which discovers the inherent essences of appearances. But what is an appearance? The answer to this question leads to one of the major themes of phenomenology: an appearance is anything of which one is conscious. Anything at all which appears to consciousness is a legitimate area of philosophical investigation. Moreover, an appearance is a manifestation of the essence of that of which it is the appearance. Surprising as it may sound, other philosophic points of view have refused to make this move.”

–David Stewart & Algis Mickunas, Exploring Phenomenology, p. 3