Skip to main content
Log in

Heterophenomenology versus critical phenomenology

  • Published:
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dennett’s heterophenomenology and the critical phenomenology that I outline may be thought of as competing accounts of a cautious approach to phenomenal description and method. One can be critical or cautious about how well or how reliably a subject can communicate his or her subjective experience in experimental settings, without for a moment doubting their existence or claiming them to be something completely different to how they seem. Given this, Dennett’s heterophenomenology with its accompanying “qualia denial” looks like nothing more than an attempt to shore up his counterintuitive, eliminativist philosophy of mind.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armstrong, D. M. (1968). A materialist theory of mind. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boring, E. (1942). Sensation and perception in the history of experimental psychology. New York, NY: Century.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chappell, V. C. (Ed.) (1962). Philosophy of mind. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

  • Dennett, D. C. (1991). Consciousness explained. London, UK: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennett, D. C. (1994). Instead of qualia. In A. Revonsuo & M. Kampinnen (Eds.), Consciousness in philosophy and cognitive neuroscience. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennett, D. (2001). The fantasy of first-person science. http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/pubpage.htm.

  • Dennett, D. (2003). Who’s on first? Heterophenomenology explained. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 10(9–10), 10–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of qualitative research (2nd edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

  • Jack, A., & Roepstorff, A. (Eds.) (2003). Trusting the subject? Volume 1: The use of introspective evidence in cognitive science. Exeter, UK: Imprint.

  • Jack, A., & Roepstorff, A. (Eds.) (2004). Trusting the subject? Volume 2: The use of introspective evidence in cognitive science. Exeter, UK: Imprint.

  • Külpe, O. (1901). Outlines of psychology. New York, NY: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryle, G. (1949). The concept of mind. London, UK: Hutchinson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York, NY: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S. M., Brown, H. O., & Toman, J. E. P. (1947). The lack of cerebral effects of d-tubocurarine. Anesthesiology, 8, 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Titchener, E. B. (1915). A beginner’s psychology. New York, NY: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varela, F., & Shear, J. (1999). First person approaches to the study of consciousness. Exeter, UK: Imprint.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velmans, M. (1991a). Is human information processing conscious? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 14(4), 651–669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velmans, M. (1991b). Consciousness from a first-person perspective. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 14(4), 702–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velmans, M. (1999). Intersubjective science. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6(2/3), 299–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velmans, M. (2000a). Understanding consciousness. London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velmans, M. (2000b). A psychologist’s map of consciousness studies. In M. Velmans (Ed.), Investigating phenomenal consciousness: New methodologies and maps (pp. 333–358). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velmans, M. (2001). Heterophenomenology versus critical phenomenology: A dialogue with Dan Dennett. On-line debate at http://cogprints.soton.ac.uk/documents/disk0/00/00/17/95 /index.html.

  • Watson, J. B. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological Review, 20, 158–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Max Velmans.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Velmans, M. Heterophenomenology versus critical phenomenology. Phenom Cogn Sci 6, 221–230 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-006-9033-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-006-9033-z

Key words

Navigation