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A proper comprehension of the notion of "foundation" is crucial, among other things, for an understanding of Husserl's theory of intersubjectivity, his analyses of the relationship between body and mind, his determination of the relationship between nature and our everyday surroundings (Umwelt), and his theory of meaning and language. For example, with regard to Husserl's treatment of intersubjectivity, commentators and critics have observed that Husserl's theory is decisively shaped by the thesis that our experience of "others" as subjects is founded upon our experience of them as physical objects, i.e., by his attempt to anchor intersubjective experience in sense experience; or alternatively, with regard to his theories of mind and language, how his theory is based upon a positing of independent objects such as minds or ideal entities such as meanings without seeing how these are only abstractions from the concreta that are presented to us in experience, i.e., human beings or actual human language. In all of these cases, the way that one interprets the question of what is fundamental and the role that Husserl assigns to this question is decisive for a correct interpretation and evaluation of Husserl's position on the issues involved.

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-1804-2_6

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