ABSTRACT
Phenomenological philosophers rarely employ empirical methods derived from the social sciences. And, yet, many phenomenological studies are rich in experiential empirical material. For example, the texts by Sartre contain concrete stories of events that he observed in situations around him, such as in the Parisian cafés that he frequented. Lingis’ phenomenological travel texts are extremely rich with observations and interactive conversations with people he encounters. Blanchot, Merleau-Ponty, Marion, and Derrida frequently use experiential materials from myths and literature. In offering pedagogical advice to the young, Serres uses many stories from his personal life. And as we have seen, many other phenomenological authors use incidents from personal life, from history, the news media, fictional stories, novels, and artistic sources. In this way the rich grounds and experiential soils of human existence are being mined, ploughed, and seeded for phenomenological insights.
