Acta Structuralica

international journal for structuralist research

Book | Chapter

175953

Husserl's appreciation and understanding of Hume

Ram Adhar Mall

pp. 19-28

Abstract

Edmund Husserl has given Hume the credit for being a forerunner of phenomenology and this we read at several places in his philosophical literature. Hume almost enters the domain of phenomenology which is as it were the secret longing of the whole philosophy. Unfortunately, Hume is blinded by the sensualism and fails to discover fully the domain of phenomenology.1 In spite of this the lesson to be learnt from the failures of British sensualism and empiricism is of far-reaching importance. Husserl tells us clearly that the works of Hume deserve to be studied seriously. In all the expositions and explanations of Hume there are to be found phenomenological insights of great importance. Before thematizing Husserl's own appreciation and understanding of Hume's philosophy it is interesting to note how Husserl's understanding of Humean philosophy develops along the line of his criticism of Kant. Regardless of the truth of Kant's philosophy in itself we must not overlook Husserl's comments, that the Hume — as Kant interprets and understands him — is not the real Hume.2 Husserl neither belongs to the groups of traditional interpreters3 of Hume nor does he see Hume through Kant's eyes.

Publication details

Published in:

Mall Ram Adhar (1973) Experience and reason: The phenomenology of Husserl and its relation to Hume's philosophy. Den Haag, Nijhoff.

Pages: 19-28

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-010-2414-3_3

Full citation:

Mall Ram Adhar (1973) Husserl's appreciation and understanding of Hume, In: Experience and reason, Den Haag, Nijhoff, 19–28.