The phenomenon of reality and reality

pp. 130-172

in: Herbert Spiegelberg, Doing Phenomenology, The Hague, Nijhoff, 1975

Abstract

One of the most common and most fundamental criticisms of phenomenology has always been: What can a science of mere phenomena tell about reality itself? It may tell us what we take to be real. But does this in any way guarantee that the supposedly real is actually real? How can phenomenology decide the truth of what we mean? Is not this the end and a rather quick end of every phenomenology?