The Origin of the Question: A Phenomenological Philosophy of Inquiry After Edmund Husserl

This book offers a phenomenology of inquiry by tracing the history of Edmund Husserl’s work. Through following Husserl’s development from the beginnings of his phenomenology to his final writings, it shows that inquiry is a significant theme in his work and how inquiry influences the development of his own phenomenology. Indeed, the book argues that inquiry is an essential operation in phenomenological philosophy, and shows how that is so by following after Husserl's inquiry itself. The result is an account of the structure of inquiry, its genesis in the individual, and how generations participate in a questioning spirit that unites them in a philosophical task to answer the last and highest questions. As such, the book’s target audience includes Husserl scholars, students of phenomenology, and students of philosophy in general.