Abstract
This chapter presents the philosophical roots of phenomenology, starting from Brentano’s empirical and descriptive psychology based on the key concepts of intentional reference, mental phenomenon, and presentation. Also discussed are the experimental developments of the theory by the Gestalt schools of Berlin and Graz, and their different viewpoints on perceptual organization. Finally outlined is the legacy of the theory in contemporary experimental phenomenology, which highlights the differences between the psychophysical, neurophysiological, and phenomenological analyses of perception. Unpacking the distinctions between the concepts of information, psychical/physical phenomena, reality, whole/part, Gestalt quality, and meaning from a phenomenological viewpoint, the chapter concludes by discussing the quest for a science of psychology per se, able both to describe and to explain phenomena in first person account.
