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Chapter 2 - What Is Phenomenology?

from Part I - Towards Psychiatric Formulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2025

Gareth S. Owen
Gareth S. Owen
Affiliation:
King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
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Summary

Starts with phenomena patients report and discusses the interpretative challenge. Addresses two meanings of phenomenology: one from philosophy and one from descriptive psychopathology in medicine. Discusses the use some romantic psychiatrists have made of philosophical phenomenology to understand ‘the worlds’ of patients.

Keywords

phenomenologydescriptive psychopathologypsychopathologyEdmund HusserlMax SchelerMartin HeideggerEugene MinkowskiLudwig BingswangerR. D. Laing
Type
Chapter
Information
Psychiatry and Human Nature
Classic and Romantic Perspectives
 , pp. 17 - 28
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

Husserl, E. The Shorter Logical Investigations. London: Routledge; 2001.Google Scholar
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Shakespeare, W. Hamlet. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1987.Google Scholar
Scheler, M. Phenomenology and the Theory of Cognition. Selected Philosophical Essays. Evanston: Northwestern University Press; 1973.Google Scholar
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Berrios, GE. The History of Mental Symptoms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1996.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owen, G, Wessely, S, Murray, R, editors. The Maudsley Handbook of Practical Psychiatry. 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2014.Google Scholar
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Spiegelberg, H. Phenomenology through vicarious experience. In: Straus, EW, editor. Phenomenology Pure and Applied. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press; 1964.Google Scholar

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  • What Is Phenomenology?
  • Gareth S. Owen, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • Book: Psychiatry and Human Nature
  • Online publication: 03 May 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009212526.002
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • What Is Phenomenology?
  • Gareth S. Owen, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • Book: Psychiatry and Human Nature
  • Online publication: 03 May 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009212526.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • What Is Phenomenology?
  • Gareth S. Owen, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • Book: Psychiatry and Human Nature
  • Online publication: 03 May 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009212526.002
Available formats
×