---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thus \"phenomenology\" means αποφαινεσθαι…"
description: "\"Thus \"phenomenology\" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα -- to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself fro..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg"
---

#  Thus "phenomenology" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα -- to…

![“Thus &quot;phenomenology&quot; means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα -- to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself.” quote by Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg)

> “Thus "phenomenology" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα -- to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself.”

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Phenomenology seeks to reveal how things appear to themselves, emphasizing direct self‑presentation without external interpretation.

**In simple terms:** Show things as they appear to themselves.

Key Takeaway

Observe phenomena without imposing preconceptions.

Themes

philosophy epistemology existentialism

Mood

contemplative inquisitive

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- academic study
- personal reflection
- art criticism

Key Concepts

Phenomenology self‑presentation intentionality

Questions to Reflect On

- How does seeing something from itself change your understanding?
- What assumptions do you bring to your observations?

A Different Perspective

May overlook contextual influences on perception.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Metaphysics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphysics/) [Phenomenology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenology/)

## Related quotes

> [“Ontically, of course, Dasein is not only close to us―even that which is closest: we \*are\* it, each of us, we ourselves. In spite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/ontically-of-course-dasein-is-not-only-close-to-us-even-that-which-is/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Being, as the basic theme of philosophy, is no class or genus of entities; yet it pertains to every entity. Its 'universality' is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/being-as-the-basic-theme-of-philosophy-is-no-class-or-genus-of/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“As a method however, the \*method of ontology\* is nothing but the sequence of the steps involved in the approach to Being as such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/as-a-method-however-the-method-of-ontology-is-nothing-but-the/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Because they are assertions about Being in the light of time properly understood, all ontological propositions are Temporal propositions. It is only because ontological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/because-they-are-assertions-about-being-in-the-light-of-time-properly/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Our conduct of the ontological investigation in the first and second parts opens up for us at the same time a view of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/our-conduct-of-the-ontological-investigation-in-the-first-and-second/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“The third preliminary problem for every theory of reality is that of the experience of transcendence. We saw in the case of Berkeley that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scheler/the-third-preliminary-problem-for-every-theory-of-reality-is-that-of/)

[Max Scheler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scheler/)

> [Phenomenology is not a philosophy; it is a philosophical method, a tool. It is like an adjustable spanner that can be used for dismantling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-wilson/phenomenology-is-not-a-philosophy-it-is-a-philosophical-method-a-tool/)

[Colin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-wilson/)

> [“What resists phenomenology within us--natural being, the 'barbarian' source Schelling spoke of--cannot remain outside phenomenology. The philosopher must bear his shadow, which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/what-resists-phenomenology-within-us-natural-being-the-barbarian/)

[Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/)

> [“One of my principal theses is that in every case the nature of a being (contingent as well as essential nature) can, in principle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scheler/one-of-my-principal-theses-is-that-in-every-case-the-nature-of-a/)

[Max Scheler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scheler/)

> [“We must reject entirely the frequently encountered assertion that consciousness is a "primal fact," that one ought not speak of an "origin" of consciousness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scheler/we-must-reject-entirely-the-frequently-encountered-assertion-that/)

[Max Scheler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scheler/)

> [ “Only after the concept of knowledge has been based on an ontological relation \[\*Seinsverhältnis\*\] can we work out the particular kind of being from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scheler/only-after-the-concept-of-knowledge-has-been-based-on-an-ontological/)

[Max Scheler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scheler/)

> [“What is gained by the transcendence of the object is the identifiability of the object in a plurality of acts and the identifiability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scheler/what-is-gained-by-the-transcendence-of-the-object-is-the/)

[Max Scheler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scheler/)

> [“We assert now that Being is the proper and sole theme of philosophy. This is not our own invention; it is a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/we-assert-now-that-being-is-the-proper-and-sole-theme-of-philosophy/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“The \*second task\* consists in distinguishing the mode of knowing operative in ontology as science of Being, and this requires us to \*work out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/the-second-task-consists-in-distinguishing-the-mode-of-knowing/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [Blindness has not been for me a total misfortune; it should not be seen in a pathetic way. It should be seen as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/blindness-has-not-been-for-me-a-total-misfortune-it-should-not-be/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

## More by Martin Heidegger

> [Language is the house of Being. In its home man dwells. Those who think and those who create with words are the guardians of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/language-is-the-house-of-being-in-its-home-man-dwells-those-who-think/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [I take great pleasure, every day, in seeing my work deeply rooted in our native soil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/i-take-great-pleasure-every-day-in-seeing-my-work-deeply-rooted-in/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Within certain limits terminology is always arbitrary. But the definition of being-true as unveiling, making manifest, is not an arbitrary, private invention of mine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/within-certain-limits-terminology-is-always-arbitrary-but-the/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [The senses do not enable us to cognize any entity in its Being; they merely serve to announce the ways in which 'external' Things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/the-senses-do-not-enable-us-to-cognize-any-entity-in-its-being-they/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [Nothing is everything that doesn't happen at this very moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/nothing-is-everything-that-doesn-t-happen-at-this-very-moment/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [Time-space as commonly understood, in the sense of the distance measured between two time-points, is the result of time calculation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/time-space-as-commonly-understood-in-the-sense-of-the-distance/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Vsakdo je drugi in nihče ni on sam.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/vsakdo-je-drugi-in-nih-e-ni-on-sam/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [What seems natural to us is probably just something familiar in a long tradition that has forgotten the unfamiliar source from which it arose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/what-seems-natural-to-us-is-probably-just-something-familiar-in-a/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [The human body is essentially something other than an animal organism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/the-human-body-is-essentially-something-other-than-an-animal-organism/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [A boundary is not that at which something stops, but that from which something begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/a-boundary-is-not-that-at-which-something-stops-but-that-from-which/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Every questioning is a seeking. Every seeking takes its direction beforehand from what is sought. Questioning is a knowing search for beings in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/every-questioning-is-a-seeking-every-seeking-takes-its-direction/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [“Anxiety is there. It is only sleeping. Its breath quivers perpetually through Dasein, only slightly in those who are jittery, imperceptibly in the 'Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/anxiety-is-there-it-is-only-sleeping-its-breath-quivers-perpetually/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [The domination of the public way in which things have been interpreted has already decided upon even the possibilities of being attuned, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/the-domination-of-the-public-way-in-which-things-have-been/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [In everything well known something worthy of thought still lurks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/in-everything-well-known-something-worthy-of-thought-still-lurks/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [The possible ranks higher than the actual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/the-possible-ranks-higher-than-the-actual/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

[Explore all 166 Martin Heidegger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

## More Mean quotes

> [That we have the vote means nothing. That we use it in the right way means everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-henry-hoover/that-we-have-the-vote-means-nothing-that-we-use-it-in-the-right-way/)

[Lou Henry Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-henry-hoover/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/)

[James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [Being blonde, for me, means never having to say: 'I'll have the honey-striped half-head of highlights for £200,' to a bored colourist in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-johnson/being-blonde-for-me-means-never-having-to-say-i-ll-have-the-honey/)

[Rachel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-johnson/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [What is a moderate interpretation of the text? Halfway between what it really means and what you'd like it to mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/what-is-a-moderate-interpretation-of-the-text-halfway-between-what-it/)

[Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/)

> [You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/you-have-expressive-nationalism-i-mean-very-identity-driven-which/)

[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/)

> [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

Browse all 33,959 Mean quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Thus \"phenomenology\" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα -- to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Heidegger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-which-shows-itself-be-seen-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Mean"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-which-shows-itself-be-seen-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c3/martin-heidegger-2144_mean_thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-whi_2314193.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Thus \"phenomenology\" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα -- to let that which shows itself be seen from itself…” — Martin Heidegger",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Heidegger",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Thus \"phenomenology\" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-which-shows-itself-be-seen-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/thus-phenomenology-means-to-let-that-which-shows-itself-be-seen-from/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
