Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 23:23:35 -0500
From: "Jay R. Feierman" 
To: evolutionary-psychology@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [evol-psych] Phenomenology


I initially used the term, "phenomenology," in a previous posting
a few days ago in the sentence, "Why do ethologists want the
definition of behavior to be purely descriptive or
phenomenological and the cognitive and evolutionary psychologists
want to add other properties into the definition? " Then I see in
another posting by Robert Stonjek a day or two agao, "Subjective
data is collected scientifically in the discipline of
phenomenology ("the study of the development of human
consciousness and self-awareness as a preface to philosophy or a
part of philosophy" - Merriam-Webster) and can be done so
consistently in any discipline."

I looked up phenomenology in Webster's New Twentieth Century
Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1983. Under phenomenology it
says, "1. the science of dealing with phenomena as distinct from
the science of being (ontology). 2. the branch of science that
classifies and describes phenomena without any attempt at
explanation.

So Robert, are you sure that you found a definition of
phenomenology that says, "the study of the development of human
consciousness and self-awareness as a preface to philosophy or a
part of philosophy?" That's not what I mean when I use the term
phenomenology.

Regards,
Jay R. Feierman