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\title{Example of Phenomenological Viewing}
\author{Greg Hudson}
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Consider the example of viewing discarding a piece of trash in a waste
basket (since, as philosophers, we must be willing to dredge up the
dirt and garbage of the world).  First, we note a relationship of
instance between garbage cans in general and the actual garbage can
into which we see someone discarding the piece of trash.  Assuming we
are familiar with the notion of garbage cans, we will normally see the
garbage can (in the natural attitude) as the general garbage can, not
as an instance.  (If we are not familiar with garbage cans, we will
see it as an instance of a general function which we do not know, and
perhaps perform eidetic variation in order to discover what that
function is.)

Second, we note layers of functionality of the garbage can.  If we are
viewing someone discarding a piece of trash and we are engaged in the
project of wanting to littering, we may see the garbage can as a place
for putting trash so it doesn't get all over the floor.  If we are
engaged in the project of wanting to encourage recycling, we may see
the garbage can as a place where people put paper when they should be
recycling it.

We can also observe similar things about the piece of trash being
discarded, but I won't repeat myself.  Instead, note how this example
illustrates the conditions of possibility of viewing: we thematize the
unthematically copresent feature that the garbage can is an instance
of garbage cans in general, and therefore disclose a context (that the
viewer understands garbage cans) which allows the situation to make
sense.  It is the function of the garbage can which gives it its role
in the example (note that I did not even bother to stop and say that
it was made of metal, or plastic, yet you understood what I was
talking about).  The natural attitude (``I see someone throwing a
piece of trash in the garbage can'') is situated in the context of the
scene--it is the attitude of a person who understands trash cans.and
has a motivation for viewing the scene.  As mentioned above, the
project we are engaged in when we view the scene affects at which
level we see the layered functionality of the garbage can and trash.

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