Phenomenology the tragic hero

I finally found a quote that made sense of phenomenology. It was on quite a good blog, probably worth visiting if you're remotely interested, and full of short, digestible chunks.

Now, any tragic hero must have both admirable qualities and a fatal flaw; I love this quote because it brings out both for phenomenology. It is from Paolo Vaorli in 1975; it specifically discusses Husserlian ethics, but I think it applies more broadly to phenomenological epistemology as a whole.

…to derive ethics not from a metaphysical structure systematized in advance and therefore a priori, but from an authentically verified description of the phenomena of conscience. In a word, it is necessary to begin building the moral edifice from solid ground rather than from the roof. In this perspective the phenomenological method proves very useful as an introduction to a morality existentially lived and at the same time removed from a relativistic and historicist situationism [some italics from original removed].

You’ve got to admire this longing, this principle, that you start with what is firm. Husserl has got a solid grip on the means of gaining all knowledge: you go from what you know to what you don’t know. That’s why metaphors are such a powerful tool of communication, used everywhere from Scripture to naming technology.

But we find phenomenology’s fatal flaw in the ground it chooses for its moral foundation: "an authentically verified description of the phenomena of conscience." No human can really know which phenomena of consciousness are authentic and sufficiently verified. Between nonsense, finitude, errors, and lies, a mortal mind is not going to know and discern enough to build a moral edifice. The only certain foundation is God, who is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, and in His revelation through His Son, the Bible, and the created world.

I can easily imagine a phenomenology that is based on God. But it would take a dramatic re-aligning of the universe, for some, rather like changing from geocentrism to heliocentrism. Phenomenology likes facts and logical thought about them; splendid. This is good for a protagonist. God likes facts and thought too. It’s just, He’s the main fact, and phenomenology is not at liberty to ignore Him. When human consciousness disagrees with revelation, consciousness is going to have to change. Until phenomenology becomes humble enough to acknowledge God, he will be a tragic character, and his pride will destroy him. And this will inspire fear and pity in the audience.