Phenomenology Is Too Abstract for Psychopathology

The phenomenological approach is a science that has its roots in the tradition of psychiatric science (Binswanger et al., 1896). Phenomenology intuits the content of consciousness precisely and distinguishes between concepts so that it can provide knowledge about the nature of consciousness. As the basis for scientific psychology and psychiatry, the phenomenological approach allows for a clearer understanding of the nature of mental disorders. This essay argues that phenomenology is not abstract to psychiatry is the foundation of psychiatry and has a distinguished role in psychiatry. The essay begins with an introduction to the origins and history of phenomenology and describes the psychiatric relevance of phenomenology. It then presents several arguments against Karl Jaspers’ phenomenology. It concludes by suggesting the role of phenomenology in understanding the lifeworld of people with schizophrenia.