Tag: philosophy of math
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Essences and Imaginative Free Variation
In my last post, I outlined the meaning of phenomenology for Husserl. Specifically, I focused on the nature of phenomenology as a descriptive science of consciousness. Husserl argues that phenomenological description is possible as a foundational philosophical method primarily because of the capacity to have direct insights into essences. What are essences? Husserl maintains that…
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Phenomenology: “Back to the things themselves!”
Almost everyone who has studied philosophy, even briefly, has encountered the term “phenomenology.” But what exactly does phenomenology mean for Husserl? The motto of Husserlian phenomenology, taken from his Logical Investigations, is “back to the things themselves.”1 This is a powerful statement, but it requires elucidation. Husserl maintains that phenomenology has two meanings which are…
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Edmund Husserl: in love with philosophy
Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) was the founder of one of the most important philosophical movements of the 20th century, namely, Phenomenology. He was born in Proßnitz in the Margraviate of Moravia in the Austrian Empire (today Prostějov in the Czech Republic) to Jewish parents, and his initial academic pursuits were in physics and mathematics. Indeed, his…