Can Existential-Phenomenological Theory and Epistemology ever be Congruent with Empirical Research and Systematizations?

Abstract

Over the last decade the pros and cons of empirical research and systematizations concerning existential theory and practice have been widely discussed. Whether in favour or against, everyone agrees that the existential- phenomenological theory has a natural tension with any enterprise that may lead to a deterministic, abstractive and definitive vision of man. This present paper aims to go beyond the circumstantial debate of the pros and cons, to question if congruence can ever be possible in doing empirical research and systematizations from an existential-phenomenological perspective. It concludes that existential theory is not congruent with a positivistic/definitive stance towards produced knowledge, but finds no epistemological reason regarding its theoretical basis to stand against empirical research and systematizations per se.