Critical Review of Epistemological Principles of Phenomenology with an Emphasis on Geography

Message:
Article Type:
Research/Original Article (دارای رتبه معتبر)
Abstract:
Introduction

Phenomenology is one of the dominant philosophical schools that gradually entered the western philosophy in the late 19th century, and then attention has been paid to different scientific domains particularly in humanities, geography and human geography. Phenomenology is the study or recognition of phenomena and the phenomena consists of everything that appears to the mind. In other words, phenomenology is direct perception and intuition, without the intermediary of objects and phenomena. The purpose of the mediator in knowing everything is the conventional philosophical and scientific hypotheses, theories, categories and templates, and particular pre-assumptions of the reader. Knowing anything without using conventional formats will be possible only through direct intuition of nature. So this approach seeks direct intuition of objects and phenomena, and in this regard refuses the hypotheses, categories and pre-assumptions, therefore, phenomenology is considered a realistic but experimental approach toward realities. Thus, seemingly this traditional philosophy of science must be classified under the realistic viewpoint. Nevertheless, due to some typical esoterism, and particularly suspending the realities of external world, and even eliminating it as a mind-independent character and full emphasis on phenomenological character of realities, meaning subjective character of objects and phenomena, and eventually due to the phenomenological tradition relying on the intuitive experience approach, against some realistic attributes, this traditional philosophy of science must be classified under the realistic viewpoint. Nevertheless, regardless of positive aspect of this approach, meaning immediate experience of objects and phenomena, the approach mentioned above has some basic and epistemological insufficiency which will encounter serious hardships utilizing it as a scientific approach in the geography domain, and thus, it lacks the efficiency and required capabilities to be utilized in the study fields related to social science, and particularly geography, as a “scientific” approach and methodology. The main objective of this paper, which has been written with a realistic approach and critical rationalism attitude, is to analyze this issue from the viewpoint of logical and epistemological analyses.

Methodology

The present study due to the nature of philosophy and own logical, is among the fundamental and theoretical research. This study is based on descriptive and analytical method (logical) and its analysis is done based on logical reasoning and arguments. Therefore, discussions and matters from this series of documentaries and library are considered.

Result and Discussion

Across the last few decades, the Philosophy of phenomenology has been one of the main and dominant schools in the field of western thought, which gradually from the second half of the 20th century, has contributed to the formation of intellectual foundations of western scholars and has influenced many fields particularly humanities domain especially geography. In human geography, across the last decades, we see an evolving tendency among geographers in the field of urban studies, urban design and planning, rural planning, social geography, economic geography, political geography, cultural geography, and some other subcategories are directed towards a kind of human geography that have been influenced by philosophy and methodology of phenomenology, or its derivatives, such as existentialism and interpretive and hermeneutic methods. The question is to see what methodology and principles the inspired geography is based on and what is its ultimate goal? Phenomenological geography refers to geographic studies in which geographic phenomena and subjects are studied by researchers without any intermediaries, regardless of formal and abstract templates, and without reliance on pre-assumptions, theories and customary prejudice in scientific studies and merely as a phenomenology. Thus, in this regard, phenomenological geography has the following characters:1. Immediate experience of objects and phenomena 2. Review of place identity individually and uniquely (monography) 3. Intuitive and interpretive method in recognizing and understanding the phenomena 4. Recognition of phenomena in the form of common sense 5. Utilizing descriptions instead of explanation in identifying the phenomena 6. Refusing pre-assumptions and categories and theories in identifying the phenomena.Meanwhile, the presence and close participation of the researcher in the study of subjects and environmental phenomena and the description and explanation of phenomena and their real descriptions are considered as a positive character of this approach, however refusing the hypotheses and pre-assumptions (which are actually impossible) and the focus on awareness and subjective cognitions and suspension of external world (Epoché) in the process of recognizing phenomena actually turns it into an idealistic approach, and unique cognitions of phenomena also lead to the lack of validation independent of the researcher, and ultimately confronts this approach with relativism, and thus making phenomenology inefficient as a scientific method in geographic studies.

ConclusionIn

a general sense, since philosophy and phenomenological methodology in different sciences, particularly in the field of humanities and social sciences, especially geography, merely refer to the participation of the researcher in the study of subjects and environmental phenomena and consider remote description and explanation of the phenomena inefficient and emphasizes on their real and deep description through direct and immediate intuition, and particularly suggests direct descriptions and real experiences in the field of researches related to practical plans for geographic places, it is worthwhile and important, and this aspect of phenomenology approach is considered a positive and strong point. Nevertheless, regardless of this positive aspect, the approach mentioned above has some basic and epistemological insufficiency, such as: refusing hypotheses and pre-assumptions, idealistic attitude and subjectivism, nomothetic approach in reviewing the phenomena which leads to the lack of true and false criteria or a lack of validation independent of the researcher’s mind; and in other words, leads to the lack of objectivity and, eventually; historicity and relativism. These issues encounter serious hardships utilizing it as a scientific approach in the geography domain, and thus, it lacks the efficiency and required capabilities to be utilized in the study fields related to social science, and particularly geography, as a “scientific” approach and methodology.

Language:
Persian
Published:
Human Geography Research Quarterly, Volume:51 Issue: 108, 2019
Pages:
471 to 492
magiran.com/p2039475  
دانلود و مطالعه متن این مقاله با یکی از روشهای زیر امکان پذیر است:
اشتراک شخصی
با عضویت و پرداخت آنلاین حق اشتراک یک‌ساله به مبلغ 1,390,000ريال می‌توانید 70 عنوان مطلب دانلود کنید!
اشتراک سازمانی
به کتابخانه دانشگاه یا محل کار خود پیشنهاد کنید تا اشتراک سازمانی این پایگاه را برای دسترسی نامحدود همه کاربران به متن مطالب تهیه نمایند!
توجه!
  • حق عضویت دریافتی صرف حمایت از نشریات عضو و نگهداری، تکمیل و توسعه مگیران می‌شود.
  • پرداخت حق اشتراک و دانلود مقالات اجازه بازنشر آن در سایر رسانه‌های چاپی و دیجیتال را به کاربر نمی‌دهد.
In order to view content subscription is required

Personal subscription
Subscribe magiran.com for 70 € euros via PayPal and download 70 articles during a year.
Organization subscription
Please contact us to subscribe your university or library for unlimited access!