Husserl and the algebra of logic

Husserl's 1896 lectures

Mirja Hartimo

pp. 121-133

in: Guillermo Rosado Haddock (ed), The other Husserl, Axiomathes 22 (1), 2012.

Abstract

In his 1896 lecture course on logic–reportedly a blueprint for the Prolegomena to Pure Logic–Husserl develops an explicit account of logic as an independent and purely theoretical discipline. According to Husserl, such a theory is needed for the foundations of logic (in a more general sense) to avoid psychologism in logic. The present paper shows that Husserl's conception of logic (in a strict sense) belongs to the algebra of logic tradition. Husserl's conception is modeled after arithmetic, and respectively logical inferences are viewed as analogical to arithmetical calculation. The paper ends with an examination of Husserl's involvement with the key characters of the algebra of logic tradition. It is concluded that Ernst Schröder, but presumably also Hermann and Robert Grassmann influenced Husserl most in his turn away from psychologism.

Cited authors

Husserl Edmund

Schröder Ernst

Graßmann Robert