SOURCE: “The Last Phase of Husserl's Phenomenology: An Exposition and a Criticism,” in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol. 1, No. 4, June, 1941, pp. 479-91.

In the following essay, Beck criticizes the direction Husserl takes in his last work, arguing that he abandons the methods and principles upon which he first founded phenomenology.

I. Report

1. Concerning the foundations of modern times and its philosophy and science. Husserl's last essay published before his death is entitled “The Crisis of European Science and Transcendental Phenomenology: An Introduction to Phenomenological Philosophy.”¹

To Husserl the crisis prevailing among mankind today seems to be basically a crisis caused by a self-misunderstanding of reason. This self-misunderstanding has brought about a crisis of the European sciences, has brought about skepticism, irrationalism, and, hence, the domination of inhumanity.² With the sacrifice of reason, however, mankind and modern European culture are in greater danger than ever before of complete destruction...