Phenomenology?!?

[Logical Phallacy]

Thinking about taking a uni course on this topic but am most confused as to what the content would be like. Its apparently a branch of philosophy dealing with perception and metaphysics, but I think its a bit more specialized than that. Any dopers happen to have taken similar courses? Come to think of it there must be some philosophy majors out there.

On a somewhat related note, anyone ever found a use for any use for a philosophy degree?

[tomndebb]

On a somewhat related note, anyone ever found a use for any use for a philosophy degree? "Would you like fries with that?"

Actually, my degree is a B.A. Philosophy. I had to pick up some trade school credits in programming, but I was able to get a job. There are a fair number of jobs that really only require a generic Liberal Arts degree (and Philosophy qualifies), although in tight times (such as now), employers tend to look for specific skills rather than the ability to handle multiple roles. Liberal Arts folks often do well moving up the ladder once they are in an organization (because--if they paid attention in school--they are well adapted to learning multiple roles), but getting in the door can be a real hassle when times are tough.

As to the original question, Phenomenology (http://www.phenomenologycenter.org/phenom.htm) is an approach to Metaphysics, with a strong bent toward Epistemology, but it has branched off from "pure" Philosophy into a number of "applied" systems over the years.

[capybara]

I took a phenomenology/ existentialism course and I have trouble sort of serparating the two out-- Husserl is usu. considered The Phenomenolgy element, and I know swell folks like Cassirer are also lumped in there. If you like existentialism you'll like phenomenology, I think.
Too much wine. can. not. explain too well. Giving up. I'll try again in the morning when I am lucid. This branch (phenomenolgy) is at least coming in handy to me conceptually in an art history program. Someone will flame me for this but in my current state I would say that phenomenology is kinda like what Foucault does but 50 years earlier and in German.

[Tyrrell McAllister]

From this entry (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/phenom.htm) of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/):
Phenomenology is the description and study of appearances. The term has come to be closely associated with the method of inquiry that was originated by Brentano and further developed by Husserl. The movement originally placed an emphasis on human experience descriptions, as the human experience was directed onto objects. Husserl shifted the emphasis toward a description of the objects of experience, which were called phenomena. Like phenomenalism, phenomenology recognizes the problem of accessing the external world behind our perceptions. We, thus, "bracket" or postpone discussion of the external world and focus only on phenomena.

[Logical Phallacy]

bump...i still don't have a clue what such a course might study, could anyone think of an example or two?

I've done a lot of googling and just come up with very intangible definitions.

[SC_Wolf]

Phenomenology can be handy when trying to convince an Artifically Intelligent thermostellar nuclear bomb not to detonate and blow up your space ship. (http://128.174.194.59/cybercinema/bomb20.htm)

Though results tend to be mixed.