A phenomenologist's response to Alan Waterman

Abstract

Comments on the article "The humanistic psychology-positive psychology divide: Contrasts in philosophical foundations" by Waterman (see record 2013-12501-001). Distancing positive psychology from humanistic psychology, Alan Waterman wishes to close the conversation between the two cognate psychological paradigms. It's true that strong fences can make good neighbors, and a desire for amicable separation on the basis of irreconcilable differences is understandable. The current author believes that Waterman's gracious style is an exemplary model for respectful disagreement. However, in distancing positive psychology from humanistic psychology generally, Waterman represented phenomenology as the philosophical foundation to humanistic psychology in a way that is seriously mistaken at worst and problematic at best. Putting aside the issue of the relationship between phenomenology and humanistic psychology (as well as positive psychology), this brief commentary will limit itself to those points where Waterman invoked the term phenomenological with broad strokes that invite friendly clarification.