On the transcendental or the phenomenological reduction(epoché)

from a sociological perspective

Yoshikuni Yatani

pp. 357-379

in: Philip Blosser, Eiichi Shimomissé, Lester Embree, Hiroshi Kojima (eds), Japanese and Western phenomenology, Berlin, Springer, 1993

Abstract

After a brief retrospective on the attitudes of phenomenological sociologists toward "the Transcendental," the author examines the problem of intersubjectivity in the light of Kinesthesis theory. His contemplations on the structure of definitions and the endless backward retracing reflection clarify that there is no absolute bottom or instance of reduction (epoché). For sociologists to handle multiple social and cultural realities experienced by human beings, there must be multidimensional epochés according to their own ways of experiencing. Examples are given from Schuzean Theory of Multiple Reality, Ichikawa's Theory of Mi (body), Sensitivity Training, Yamagishikai's Special Training Meeting, and Zen Satori experience.