Phenomenology and Psychological Science: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives

There are no books precisely parallel to this one. The main works of the major authors in phenomenological philosophy (but not phenomenological psychology) are in print – we mean Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau- Ponty. General texts on the phenomenological approach in philosophy – including ones which take a historical approach – are available. Notable are: H. Spiegelberg (1981) The Phenomenological Movement (3rd edition) The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff. D. Moran (2000) Introduction to Phenomenology London, Routledge. There are several accounts of psychology from a phenomenological viewpoint in print, some of which refer to the philosophical roots. The extent of the reference varies. None fully spells the connections out, and none has a historical perspective. For example: R .S. Valle and S. Halling (1989) Existential-Phenomenological Perspectives in Psychology New York, Plenum Press. E. Spinelli (2005) The Interpreted World: An introduction to phenomenological psychology (2nd edition) London, Sage. H.R. Pollio, T.B. Henley and C.T. Thompson (1997) The Phenomenology of Everyday Life Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. K. Dahlberg, N. Drew, and M. Nyström (2001) Reflective Lifeworld Research Stockholm, Studentlitteratur. There are books in print which are much more concerned with the practicalities of phenomenologically-based research in psychology than with the history and philosophy underlying this. The most used example is probably: C. Moustakas (1994) Phenomenological Research Methods Thousand Oaks, Sage. I would characterize the current book, in contrast to the above, as having phenomenologically-based research in psychology firmly in view, but addressing in detail the historical development of the phenomenological movement in philosophy insofar as it illuminates the inmpact on psychology. So – the historical development of phenomenological philosophy and the impact, at each stage, on psychology.Answering as a collateral effect the question, What is phenomenological psychology? It is essential to offer an authoritative account of these matters now because: Qualitative research in psychology has achieved acceptance in Europe (though the acceptance is less in the United States at present), and with qualitative research in general, phenomenologically-based research is widely practiced. The British Psychological Society – by whom undergraduate degrees in psychology are accredited (and without this accreditation, students cannot progress to professional training) – has just begun to demand qualitative research training as part of the research methods and practical training programme. This book uniquely contains material that would be needed for a thorough background in phenomenological psychology. The British Psychological Society has also just begun to demand a core module in the History and Philosophy of Psychology as part of the advanced undergraduate education of psychology students. This book – though not intended as a core elementary text – would be right as background reading. In associated, applied areas throughout the world (e.g. health psychology, organizational and industrial psychology, counseling, nursing) phenomenological approaches are well accepted and very widely used. However, the meaning of the approach is often misunderstood – often boiling down to a report of, e.g. patients’ statements about such-and-such a thing. Experience is not rigorously addressed. This book provides a necessary corrective, and indicates what the options are for phenomenologically-based research, and the basis of these options within the history of phenomenological philosophy.