Introduction to Phenomenology

(Graduate students register for 231.) Phenomenology is one of the dominant philosophical traditions to arise in the 20th century. Its purpose is to investigate and describe the structures of consciousness, without theoretical or empirical bias. The study of phenomenology is both a precondition for understanding Continental philosophy and, more recently, a valuable interlocutor to philosophy of mind and cognitive science. In this class, we will learn the concepts and methods unique to phenomenology, and we will read the works of its major thinkers, including Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. PREREQS: 2 courses in philosophy prior to enrollment OR one of the following: PHI 132, PHI 134, PHI 134A, PHI 134B. This course is not repeatable.