Existentialism and phenomenology have a lot of common principles. Existentialism is the philosophical study of the human condition, while phenomenology studies how people experience things. However, some key distinctions set these two concepts apart. This article will explore what existentialism and phenomenology are and highlight the key differences between the two.
What is Existentialism?
“Existentialism is a philosophy that tries to deal with meaninglessness. To avoid nihilism by not giving up or avoiding responsibility.” [Source]. Other definitions state that existentialism is “A philosophical theory that emphasizes the person’s existence as a free and responsible agent who determines their development through their actions.” [Source].
Existentialist philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre believe that humans are unique and free individuals. This means that we create our values and meanings in life instead of having them given to us by society or a higher power. We are responsible for our own choices and actions, and there is no predefined purpose for our lives.
Existentialism is often seen as a negative philosophy because it deals with death, freedom, and the human condition. However, existentialists believe that we can live more authentic and fulfilling lives by accepting these things.
Existentialists observe that humans are born into a cruel, uncaring world and that it is a reality. This implies that suffering and global issues are unavoidable due to our environment. As a result, the solution will be for one to discover their reason for existence and then pursue it.
What is Phenomenology?
Phenomenology “focuses on studying consciousness and things that you experience directly.” [Source]. It is also defined as the “philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness. It was founded in the early 20th century by Edmund Husserl as a philosophical movement. It was later expanded upon by a circle of his followers at the universities of Göttingen and Munich in Germany” [Source].
Others define it as “the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view” [Source]. Phenomenologists believe that reality is constructed through our interactions with the world. They also believe that we can only understand reality through our own experiences. Phenomenologists aim to study the world as experienced by individuals, not as it is an objective reality.
In simple terms, phenomenology is regarded as the philosophy of experience. It states that “the ultimate source of all meaning and value is the lived experience of human beings.”
“Phenomenology is the study of “phenomena” (things in our experience, or things as they appear to us, or how we perceive things): therefore the meanings that things have for us.”.
Existentialism vs. Phenomenology
“As nouns, the difference between existentialism and phenomenology is that existentialism is (philosophy|not countable) a twentieth-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices while phenomenology is (philosophy) a philosophy based on the intuitive experience of phenomena, and on the premise that reality consists of objects and events as consciously perceived by conscious beings” [Source].
Phenomenology is “related to focusing not on what happened but on the person’s perception of what happened.” “Existentialism, on the other hand, considers that a person’s inner conflict comes from his/her facing existential notions such as death, freedom and the meaning of life and how questions deriving from these concepts affect psyche and behavior” [Source].
Phenomenology looks at how phenomena affect us from a first-person view, while existentialism emphasizes human beings being the origin of all philosophical thought. For existentialists, each individual is responsible for giving meaning to life and not society or any other values.
A co-joint between these two concepts forms existential phenomenology attributed to Martin Heidegger. Existential phenomenology, “as a philosophical discipline, concerns itself with the existential implications of phenomenology. in consideration of the ‘signs’ that one perceives, one comes to the question of what Being is”. It states that philosophy must begin with experience.
Are there different types of Existentialism?
It is argued that existentialism is a broad spectrum of philosophical ideas that can add-ons [Source], such as Christian Existentialism, Marxist Existentialism, and Psychoanalytic Existentialism. Different types of existentialism are visible regarding how strict or dialogical it is [Source]. There is also existential phenomenology which is a connection between existentialism and phenomenology. “As such, there are many versions of existentialism as there are grains of sand or carbon atoms.”
Can Religion and Existentialism Coexist?
The founding tenets of existentialism show that religion and existentialism could coexist. “Spirituality and religion were important within existentialism throughout the twentieth century” [Source]. Some of the popular existentialists were religious leaders in their faiths. But many arguments associate existentialism with atheism. Existentialism wants people to find meaning in life, and one can find meaning in religion, so these two can coexist.
Do Existentialists believe in the Afterlife?
Existentialists believe in the afterlife, especially those who have a religion and are existentialists. Most religions believe in the afterlife. However, this is not a universal aspect of all existentialists. Hendrik P argues that “An existentialist believes that after you die, you are dead. Your mind is no more, your soul never existed in the first place, and so after you are dead, you are in the same state as before you were born. Non-existent” [Source].
How does Phenomenology explain Reality?
Phenomenology explains reality by bringing in the aspect of human consciousness. Phenomenology is based on the premise that reality comprises objects and events, termed ‘phenomena,’ and extends to how these phenomena are understood or perceived in the human consciousness. This means that whatever the consciousness perceives becomes a reality [Source].
How does Phenomenology affect Education?
Phenomenology gives the leeway for students to adopt their perceptions of phenomena as reality. A phenomenological stance in education states that experience teaches people how to behave and deal with daily situations. This is essential training useful in educating learners to place importance on their experiences and use them for decision making.
What are the Weaknesses of Phenomenology?
The weaknesses of phenomenology are the “subjectivity of the information prompts troubles in building up consistent quality and legitimacy of methodologies and data” [Source]. Whatever a person perceives about a certain experience is different from what the next person perceives, so phenomenology is very subjective. Also, it does not cater to people with low intellectuals who consistently miss out on the meaning of their experiences. “Its disadvantages include difficulties with analysis and interpretation [Source].
