On March 18, 2025, the Center for Whitehead Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study of Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) hosted an academic lecture at Huaxin Academy. The lecture featured Professor Xiaoyuan Xue, Director of the Institute for Globalization and Cultural Development Strategy at Beijing Normal University and an expert member of the Academic Committee of Commercial Press. The lecture, titled "Phenomenological Methods and Practice," systematically explained the core theories and practical significance of phenomenology, attracting numerous faculty, students, and scholars.

Professor Xue was giving the lecture

Presenting a letter of appointment to Professor Xue

1. The Core Spirit and Methodology of Phenomenology

Professor Xue began by introducing the definition of phenomenology, describing it as "the science of phenomena," with its core aim being to examine, shape, and give meaning to sensory material through conscious activity, ultimately constructing the object of consciousness as an object. Edmund Husserl, the founder of phenomenology, regarded philosophy as a mission for humans to reflect on their existence and cognition. Professor Xue used Husserl's concept of "wonder" as an example to explain the origin of philosophical thinking — when humans experience "wonder" about the world, the passion for theory is ignited, prompting people to transcend ordinary experience and inquire about the essence behind phenomena.

On the methodological level, phenomenology emphasizes "gazing" and "intentionality," meaning the directedness of the subject's consciousness. Consciousness is always directed towards something, and this directedness is called "intentionality." Professor Xue carefully analyzed the four levels of intentionality: the distinction between the object’s content and intentional content, the synthesis of the object being directed toward, the surrounding effect of the non-objective domain, and the purposefulness that consciousness gives to the object itself. Using the example of temporal consciousness, he explained how original impressions, retention, and protention form the temporal structure of consciousness, which, like "the tail of a comet," links past, present, and future perceptions.

The on-site audience listened attentively

2. Phenomenological Practical Approaches: Bracketing, Reduction, and Essential Intuition

Professor Xue focused on three key phenomenological practices: bracketing, reduction, and essential intuition. Bracketing does not deny the existence of the world but temporarily suspends the natural attitude toward the world to strip away preconceived biases. Xu Fuguan’s analogy of bracketing to Zhuangzi’s concept of "forgetting knowledge" in The Spirit of Chinese Art emphasizes its importance as the starting point of cognition. Through bracketing, phenomenologists return to the a priori basis of consciousness, revealing the deep relationship between subjectivity and the world.

Reduction is a systematic reflection on the natural attitude, guiding individuals to realize their active participation in the construction of the world. Professor Xue referred to Galileo’s metaphor, pointing out that while scientific theories are abstract, their roots still lie in pre-scientific experiences in the lifeworld. Essential intuition is the process of grasping universality in individual experience, such as intuitively understanding the essence of a "flower" through observing its specific form. This process requires transcending the sensory diversity and directly pointing to the conceptual structure behind the phenomenon.

3. Lifeworld and Intersubjectivity: Phenomenology’s Concern with Reality

Professor Xue delved into Husserl's concept of the "lifeworld," emphasizing its role as the origin of all scientific knowledge. The lifeworld consists of both the "homeland world" (the familiar, intuitive everyday domain) and the "strange world" (the unknown, open domain). These two domains interpenetrate, like an expanding sphere, pushing the boundaries of human cognition. Husserl argued that even the most precise scientific theories must return to the intuitive experience of the lifeworld; for example, scientists reading data in a laboratory still rely on the shared linguistic context of the lifeworld.

Intersubjectivity (or intersubjective interaction) is the key to phenomenology’s solution to the "other-knowing" problem. Professor Xue explained that Husserl used the concept of "communal subjectivity" to describe how the self acknowledges the subjectivity of others through empathy and pairing processes. For instance, when perceiving another person’s body, we not only see their material body but also, through the intuition of "unity of spirit and flesh," understand their inner spiritual world. This intersubjectivity constructs a shared objective world, making social interaction and cultural consensus possible.

4. Contemporary Insights from Phenomenology

Professor Xue concluded that phenomenology is not only a philosophical methodology but also a key to understanding human existence and cognition. Its spirit of "returning to things themselves" calls for people to break free from rigid thinking patterns and confront the vibrant essence of phenomena. In today’s technology-driven society, phenomenology’s emphasis on the lifeworld provides intellectual resources for balancing instrumental reason with humanistic values. Moreover, the theory of intersubjectivity offers profound insights for issues such as cross-cultural dialogue and social co-governance, such as building shared consensus through "communal subjectivity" and addressing the crisis of modernity.

Interactive Session and Audience Discussion

The lecture was highly interactive, with the audience actively raising questions on topics such as the dialogue between phenomenology and Eastern philosophy, and the cognitive challenges in the age of artificial intelligence. In his closing remarks, Professor Haipeng Guo, Director of the Center for Whitehead Studies, stated that Professor Xue's lecture, with its academic depth and real-world concerns, not only clarified the theoretical framework of phenomenology but also demonstrated its vitality in addressing contemporary issues. The lecture injected intellectual vitality into the Zhuhai academic community and opened new horizons for interdisciplinary research.