The Necessity of the Epochē and Reduction for a Husserlian Phenomenological Science of Psychology

Abstract

In adapting Husserl’s philosophical phenomenological method to conduct research in psychology I included Husserl’s two methodical steps, the epochē and the reduction (sometimes combined), as part of the scientific procedure. Zahavi objected to my use of those steps. This article is a response to his objections and it is a reaffirmation of the necessity of the epochē and reduction for Husserlian phenomenological psychological research. A description of Husserl’s acknowledged types of psychology and a description of his transcendental phenomenology are also presented along with two outlines of how Husserlian phenomenological research could be conducted.