Applied umwelt theory in the context of phenomenological triangulation and descriptive phenomenology

Abstract

Even though Jakob von Uexküll’s umwelt theory has inspired biosemioticians and phenomenologists alike, most contemporary phenomenological methods are applicable only to studies of human phenomena. In this article I discuss how umwelt theory can be made use of in the contexts of phenomenological triangulation and descriptive phenomenology. This results in a methodological framework for applied umwelt theory in a phenomenological setting. Drawing on methodological advances in cognitive semiotics developed by Jordan Zlatev and his colleagues, I discuss how first-person, second-person and third-person perspectives can be combined in studies of human and animal phenomena. I further outline a more-than-human descriptive phenomenology that is applicable in behavioural sciences, in health and social studies, in the humanities and the arts, and in speculative studies, with field-specific considerations made. Overall, the aim of the article is to contribute to integrating biosemiotics and phenomenology and demonstrating the relevance of umwelt theory for phenomenology, and vice versa.