Brett_PhilosopherZ reviewed Phenomenology by Shaun Gallagher
Review of 'Phenomenology' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Phenomenology made current.
In this book Shaun Gallagher gives us an introduction to Phenomenology that stands apart from others in the field. Many other books in this area take an approach based on the key figures (eg. Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty). These works also sometimes present it as an old and outdated philosophy, or if there is an attempt to make it current, it is not until the final chapter where new research is presented.
Gallagher takes a different approach in regards to both. First, instead of being based on particular figures, each chapter focuses on a major theme of phenomenology (eg. transcendentalism, intentionality, and temporality). Second, each chapter begins by looking at the approaches taken by its early practitioners (with emphasis on key figures such as Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty), and then progresses to debates that are taking place in this area by modern practitioners. The benefit of this …
Phenomenology made current.
In this book Shaun Gallagher gives us an introduction to Phenomenology that stands apart from others in the field. Many other books in this area take an approach based on the key figures (eg. Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty). These works also sometimes present it as an old and outdated philosophy, or if there is an attempt to make it current, it is not until the final chapter where new research is presented.
Gallagher takes a different approach in regards to both. First, instead of being based on particular figures, each chapter focuses on a major theme of phenomenology (eg. transcendentalism, intentionality, and temporality). Second, each chapter begins by looking at the approaches taken by its early practitioners (with emphasis on key figures such as Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty), and then progresses to debates that are taking place in this area by modern practitioners. The benefit of this approach is that the reader can find a topic which interests them, and then get a complete overview of where this idea originated from and how it is studied and practiced today.
It should be noted that Gallagher comes at this project from a particular viewpoint - that of embodied/enactive cognition (a relatively new and growing field within philosophy of mind and cognitive science, and one in which Gallagher is an acknowledged expert). Thus the reader gains not only an understanding of phenomenology as practiced in the past, but how it is practiced now and in conjunction with another new and growing area of research (see some of Gallagher's other books for further understanding of the field of embodied cognition).
Thus, this book can be of value to several different audiences. First, newcomers with little direct knowledge in phenomenology, but interested in learning about what it is will be well served by this book. Second, it also will be of use to phenomenologists interested in seeing how it can be applied in the area of embodied cognition. Finally, those in the field of embodied cognition can benefit from seeing how phenomenological ideas can benefit their research with its new insights. Highly recommended.