Philosophie der Arithmetik.

Presentation copy of Husserl's first book

First edition of Husserl's first book, the initial volume of his Philosophie der Arithmetik; presentation copy, inscribed by the author "mit dem Ausdruck vorzüglicher Hochachtung" at the head of the front wrapper, above the printed presentation note "Uberreicht vom Verfasser".

Husserl (18591938) began his career as a mathematician, and it was in search of complete clarity respecting fundamental mathematical concepts that, with the encouragement of Franz Brentano, to whom this work is dedicated, he turned to the philosophy of mathematics. Husserl "attempted a psychological analysis of certain basic logical and mathematical notions. The concept of number, for instance, was to be elucidated by talking about the activity of counting. In his review of this book, the mathematician Gottlob Frege argued that logical and mathematical concepts differ from the psychological acts in which they may occur and that, therefore, the discussion of the latter does not serve to explicate the former. He accused Husserl of confusing psychology and logic" (The Encylopedia of Philosophy IV, 97). Husserl never published a second volume.