ABSTRACT
The preceding two chapters studied Husserl’s conception of phenomenology, the science of the essence of consciousness. Husserl’s approach to the theory of knowledge moves through his conception of phenomenology. In the Logical Investigations (1900-1) and again in Ideas I (1913), Husserl develops a phenomenological theory of knowledge. Early modern philosophy explored the roles of reason and sensory experience in the foundations of our knowledge, looking toward the emerging sciences, especially physics, in which both mathematics and empirical observation were key. Husserl returns to these classical epistemological issues, armed with the results of his explorations in phenomenology. In this chapter we pursue Husserl’s phenomenological theory of knowledge, considering its place in his overall system of philosophy.
