Debate
Phenomenology today – what is it good at?
- Date
- Friday 9 October 2026
- Time
- Location
-
Herta Mohr
Witte Singel 27A
2311 BG Leiden - Room
- 0.14
Workshop of the Dutch Society for Phenomenology,
In collaboration with the Leiden Centre for Continental Philosophy LCCP
At the Institute for Philosophy of Leiden University
Phenomenology is undoubtedly one of the main currents of philosophy in the 20th century – but what has happened to it in the 21st century?
Judging by the programs of big international phenomenological conferences, the main currents of 20th century phenomenology have revolved around Husserl, Heidegger, and modern French phenomenology – although in reality, phenomenology was divided into numerous subfields and it spread over all continents. In the 20th century, phenomenology sharpened its ideas in intense and sometimes ferocious debates with analytical philosophy on the one hand, poststructuralism on the other hand. In the 21st century, various new debates have emerged. Some have their origin in the challenge of hard sciences of consciousness and medicine to the phenomenological first-person point of view. Others have their origin in the critique of phenomenology’s “correlationism” by the proponents of the so-called new materialism. Others still develop critical phenomenology.
Where has all of this brought us today? Has phenomenology been overcome by these challenges or has it on the contrary been consolidated against them? Has it evolved while responding to its philosophical interlocutors? Has it changed its form when realizing that consciousness cannot be limited to Western, male, monotheist, human consciousness, and when realizing that lifeworld cannot be limited to the historical lifeworld of a people anymore?
In short: What good is phenomenology today? What is good phenomenology today?
The newly re-established Dutch Society for Phenomenology organises a workshop in which a discussion on these admittedly wider-ranging matters is opened by the board members of the society. The society aims at bringing together people working on phenomenology in the Netherlands and Belgium, providing a forum for discussions and a context for new developments. The workshop is intended to all who are interested in the future of phenomenology.
Speakers
Prof. Gert-Jan van der Heiden (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
Prof. Julia Jansen (KU Leuven / Husserl-Archiev Leuven)
Prof. Vincent Blok (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Dr. Maren Wehrle (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Prof. Eddo Evink (Open Universiteit)
Prof. Susanna Lindberg (Universiteit Leiden)