Phenomenology (from
Greek phainómenon "that which appears" and
lógos "study") is the
philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness. As a
philosophical movement it was founded in the early years of the 20th century by
Edmund Husserl and was later expanded upon by a circle of his followers at the universities of
Göttingen and
Munich in
Germany. It then spread to
France, the
United States, and elsewhere, often in contexts far removed from Husserl's early work. Phenomenology should not be considered as a unitary movement; rather, different authors share a common family resemblance but also with many significant differences. Accordingly, “A unique and final definition of phenomenology is dangerous and perhaps even paradoxical as it lacks a thematic focus. In fact, it is not a doctrine, nor a philosophical school, but rather a style of thought, a method, an open and ever-renewed experience having different results, and this may disorient anyone wishing to define the meaning of phenomenology”.