So, ‘sensation’ and ‘judgment’ have together lost their…
““So, ‘sensation’ and ‘judgment’ have together lost their apparent clearness: we have observed that they were clear only as long as the prejudice in favour of the world was maintained. As soon as one tried by means of them, to picture consciousness in the process of perceiving, to revive the forgotten perceptual experience, and to relate them to it, they were found to be inconceivable. By dint of making these difficulties more explicit, we were drawn implicitly into a new kind of analysis, into a new dimension in which they were destined to disappear. The criticism of the constancy hypothesis and more generally the reduction of the idea of ‘the world’ opened up a *phenomenal field* which now has to be more accurately circumscribed, and suggested the rediscovery of direct experience which must be, at least provisionally, assigned its place in relation to scientific knowledge, and to psychological and philosophical reflection.” —from_Phenomenology of Perception_. Translated by Colin Smith, p. 62””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Our concepts of sensation and judgment lose clarity when we cling to a fixed notion of the world; recognizing this opens a space for direct experience alongside scientific understanding.
In simple terms: Ideas about perception change when we stop assuming a static world.
Key Takeaway
Embrace direct experience while questioning assumptions.
Themes
philosophy
perception
science
Mood
analytical
introspective
Type
theoretical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- art criticism
- psychotherapy
- educational reform
- spiritual practice
- personal introspection
Key Concepts
phenomenology
epistemology
mind‑body
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your perception shift when you question reality?
- Can you recall a moment of direct experience?
A Different Perspective
The abstract nature of phenomenology can be hard to apply practically.