Comments on Richard Colledge’s Essay (2021) "Thomism and Contemporary Phenomenological Realism"

By Razie Mah

Philosopher Richard Colledge aims to make a small contribution in an article published in the American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly (volume 95 (30), 2021, pages 411-432). The full title is "Thomism and Contemporary Phenomenological Realism: Toward a Renewed Engagement". Of course, there are many styles of phenomenology. Paralleling popular artistic trends during Edmund Husserl's life (1859-1938), they range from impressionism to surrealism. The few realists criticize phenomenology, claiming that the product of phenomenological reduction, the identification of 'what the thing itself must be', may cover over or lose touch with the originating mind-independent reality, 'the thing itself'.
Colledge follows up on one critic, Gunter Figal, of the University of Freiberg, without realizing that some modern disciplines outside of phenomenology may have already benefitted from this very property. Indeed, not even Figal acknowledges that phenomenology holds an unspoken position in regards to the empirical sciences, in effect acting out the constitution of the social sciences within the milieu of empirical inquiry.
In sum, 'what the thing itself must be' through phenomenological reduction may become 'a thing itself' in regards to a social science.
In this Edmund Husserl discovered the essence of contemporary social sciences.
This commentary follows Comments on Mark Spencer's Essay (2021) "The Many Phenomenological Reductions", establishing that phenomenology situates empirical science (while, simultaneously, empirical science excludes Thomism from doing the same).
This commentary follows Comments on Joseph Trabbic's Essay (2021) "Jean-Luc Marion and... First Philosophy", concerning the fact that there is no perspective for phenomenology situating empirical science. Marion provides one, without realizing it (because he gets distracted by the antics of Jacques Derrida). Marion's struggle raises the possibility that all the social sciences practice phenomenological reduction (even before Husserl discovers the method).
Comments on Joseph Colledge's Essay (2021) "Thomism and Contemporary Phenomenological Reduction" takes the development one step further, showing that Gunter Figal successfully offers an alternate perspective, comparable to Marion's, yet does not realize the full theoretical import of his struggle. Phenomenological reductionism is the hidden step within the formulation of modern social sciences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Razie Mah
• Release date: Sep 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781955931052

Razie Mah

See website for bio.

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Comments on Richard Colledge's Essay (2021)

Thomism and Contemporary Phenomenological Reduction

By Razie Mah

Published for Smashwords.com

2021

Notes on Text

This work comments on an article by Richard Colledge Ph.D., appearing in 2021 in the American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly (volume 95(3), pages 411-432). The title is Thomism and Contemporary Phenomenological Realism. Thomism is a scholastic tradition, consciously revived in modern times. Phenomenology is a modern tradition, constructed in contrast to empirical science. My goal is to comment on this work using the category-based nested form and other relational models within the tradition of Charles Peirce.

‘Words that belong together’ are denoted by single quotes or italics.

Prerequisites: A Primer on the Category-Based Nested Form, A Primer on Sensible and Social Construction

Recommended for science: Comments on Jacques Maritain's Book (1935) Natural Philosophy along with e-articles in the Empirio-Schematics series

Recommended for phenomenology: The current commentary follows these two works and develops themes there presented.

Comments on Mark Spencer's Essay (2021) The Many Phenomenological Reductions

Comments on Joseph Trabbic's Essay (2021) Jean-Luc Marion and... First Philosophy

Table of Contents

Introduction (A)

The Origins Of This Mess (B)

Gunter Figal and Daedalus Thread (C)

Are Species Expressa Proto-Phenomenological? (B')

Conclusion (A')

Introduction (A)

0001 Two commentaries on Thomism and phenomenology precede this effort. In these, I offer ways to visualize phenomenology as a response to the successful birth of empirical science in Western civilization in the 1600s. Notably, the revival of Thomism, inspired by an encyclical by Pope Leo XIII (1879 AD) coincides with the construction of phenomenology. Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) publishes Ideas, I in 1913.

In this respect, contemporary Thomism and phenomenology are two peas in a pod.

0002 In another respect, they are not.

The growth and development of science drags the West away from the joys of everyday life and the wonders of metaphysics. The Age of Ideas replaces the Latin Age. Phenomenology is conceived in a lab. As long as it does not break the rule of the positivist intellect, it may remain.

0003 What is the rule of the positivist intellect?

Metaphysics is not allowed.

0004 Consequently a third actor, much larger than either contemporary Thomism or phenomenology, chaperones the two, as one tries to ask the other to dance. This third