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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.

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

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