Phenomenological Method of Investigation

Characterizing the Object of Investigation

• Focus: The being of entities or the meaning of being in general
• Task of ontology: Explain being itself and make the being of entities stand out clearly
  • Method remains questionable if reliant on historical ontologies
• Ontology: Not a predefined philosophical discipline
• Objective: Develop a discipline based on specific questions and treatment required by the subjects themselves

Importance of Phenomenology

• Fundamental question of philosophy must be treated phenomenologically
• Phenomenology: Not a standpoint or direction, but a methodological conception
  • Signifies the 'how' of philosophical research, not the 'what'
• Maxim: "To the things themselves"
  • Opposed to free-floating constructions, accidental findings, and pseudo-questions

Concept of Phenomenon

• Greek origin: Derived from verb "phainesthai" (to show itself)
  • Means "that which shows itself," the manifest
• Different ways entities can show themselves:
  • Seeming: When an entity shows itself as something it is not
  • Positive and primordial signification of phenomenon: "That which shows itself in itself"
• Appearance vs. Phenomenon:
  • Appearance involves announcing itself through something that shows itself
  • Phenomenon is the 'showing itself' while appearing is 'announcing itself'
• Misunderstanding of the concept of phenomenon can lead to critique of phenomenology

Concept of Logos

• Logos: Word/discourse
  • Many significations: Reason, judgment, concept, definition, ground, or relationship
• Aristotle: Discourse as "apophansis" (letting something be seen)
  • Function of logos: Making manifest what the discourse is about
• Logos allows for synthesis (letting something be seen in its togetherness, by someone, with something)
  • Truth of logos: Making entities unconcealed
  • Falsehood of logos: Covering up or deceiving
• The genuine perception of entities (truth) is more primordial than the logos
• Concepts of perceiving and making visible (in basic sense) laid out by Aristotle and ancient Greek philosophy

Preliminary Conception of Phenomenology

• Inner relationship between 'phenomenon' and 'logos'
• Phenomenology: Descriptive, avoids characterizing anything without demonstration
  • Science of phenomena: Grasp objects by exhibiting and demonstrating directly
  • Focus on things that show themselves

Phenomenology as the Method of Ontology

• Phenomenology helps in accessing and giving precision to themes of ontology
• Different ways phenomena can be covered up:
  • Undiscovered: Neither known nor unknown
  • Buried over: Previously discovered but now covered up
  • Disguising: Misleading semblance
• Needs to uncover the original meaning of phenomena to study being

Science of Being

• Existential Analytic: Showing the being of entities, particularly design
  • Law and time as fundamental aspects
• Broken into different parts, main focus on temporality and historical context
• Necessity of not confusing the ordinary and phenomenological conception of phenomena

Distinguishing Existential Analytic from other disciplines

• Anthropology, psychology, biology fail to grasp the ontological question adequately
  • Primordial understanding and differentiation needed
• Philosophy must proceed analytically to grasp the essence of being

Aiming for a Natural Conception of the World

• Etching out ontological structures of design
• Avoiding biased interpretations by considering primitive and everyday aspects distinctively

Philosophical Relevance

• Aim: Grasp entities not just in narrating their properties but understanding their being
• Clarifying preconceived notions about fundamental ontology and shaping future ontological inquiries