ABSTRACT
The origins of phenomenology as both a philosophical discipline and philosophical movement began in Western continental philosophy at the turn of the 20th Century, when Edmund Husserl published Logical Investigations. The philosophical, ontological, and epistemological concepts in phenomenology are deeply connected to the methodological matters. Descartes, a French philosopher, is often considered the founder of modern Western philosophy. Husserl's phenomenology was written in direct opposition to the Cartesian concepts and ideas- and his philosophy, at the time, helped catalyze a radical shift in Western philosophy. Husserl came to refer to the relationality of consciousness as intentionality. Of great concern to Husserl was the fact that nearly all scientific disciplines were driven by positivistic philosophical concepts. In keeping with positivist philosophy, objectivity was assumed to produce better science, better methodology, and better results. It is important to note how the historical and political contexts of the time likely influenced the philosophical rift between Husserl and Martin Heidegger.
