--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First, anyone who seriously intends to…" description: "\"“First, anyone who seriously intends to become a philosopher must \"once in his life\" withdraw into himself and attempt, within himself, to overthrow an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/edmund-husserl-20601_epoch_first-anyone-who-seriously-intends-to-be_1714522.jpg" --- # First, anyone who seriously intends to become a… ![“First, anyone who seriously intends to become a philosopher must "once in his life" withdraw into himself and attempt, within himself, to overthrow and build anew all the sciences that, up to then, he has been accepting. Philosophy wisdom (sagesse) is the philosophizer's quite personal affair. It…” quote by Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/edmund-husserl-20601_epoch_first-anyone-who-seriously-intends-to-be_1714522.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/edmund-husserl-20601_epoch_first-anyone-who-seriously-intends-to-be_1714522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/edmund-husserl-20601_epoch_first-anyone-who-seriously-intends-to-be_1714522.jpg) > ““First, anyone who seriously intends to become a philosopher must "once in his life" withdraw into himself and attempt, within himself, to overthrow and build anew all the sciences that, up to then, he has been accepting. Philosophy wisdom (sagesse) is the philosophizer's quite personal affair. It must arise as His wisdom, as his self-acquired knowledge tending toward universality, a knowledge for which he can answer from the beginning, and at each step, by virtue of his own absolute insights.”” [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophy requires a deep, personal re-examination of all prior knowledge, building a universal understanding from one's own insights. **In simple terms:** Philosophers must rethink everything themselves. Key Takeaway Question assumptions, seek personal insight. Themes philosophy self‑reflection knowledge Mood contemplative introspective Type theoretical inspirational When to use this quote - academic study - personal meditation - intellectual development - teaching philosophy Key Concepts transcendental phenomenology epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What personal biases shape your current beliefs? - How can you balance personal insight with communal discourse? A Different Perspective Such radical self‑overhaul can be isolating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Epoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epoch/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Phenomenology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenology/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-wisdom-1279238/) [Sagesse Philosophizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sagesse-philosophizer-1279237/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Sagesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-sagesse-1279236/) [Wisdom Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-self-1195500/) ## Related quotes > [Avoid the crowd, avoid mass audiences, keep your own counsel, which is the counsel of philosophy of wisdom you can acquire and make your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/avoid-the-crowd-avoid-mass-audiences-keep-your-own-counsel-which-is/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/science-gives-us-knowledge-but-only-philosophy-can-give-us-wisdom/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [“If the ethical - that is, social morality - is the highest and if there is in a person no residual incommensurability in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierkegaard/if-the-ethical-that-is-social-morality-is-the-highest-and-if-there-is/) [Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kierkegaard/) > [“I seek not to instruct but only to lead, to point out and describe what I see. I claim no other right than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/i-seek-not-to-instruct-but-only-to-lead-to-point-out-and-describe/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [The ideal of a pure phenomenology will be perfected only by answering this question; pure phenomenology is to be separated sharply from psychology at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/the-ideal-of-a-pure-phenomenology-will-be-perfected-only-by-answering/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Science without philosophy, facts without perspective and valuation, cannot save us from havoc and despair. Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/science-without-philosophy-facts-without-perspective-and-valuation/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Let us give something to each person we meet: joy, courage, hope, assurance, or philosophy, wisdom, a vision for the future. Let us always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/let-us-give-something-to-each-person-we-meet-joy-courage-hope/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [To begin with, we put the proposition: pure phenomenology is the science of pure consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/to-begin-with-we-put-the-proposition-pure-phenomenology-is-the/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [The first principle of my own philosophy is that wisdom is meant for anyone who wishes to reach for it. It is the servant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/the-first-principle-of-my-own-philosophy-is-that-wisdom-is-meant-for/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Pure phenomenology claims to be the science of pure phenomena. This concept of the phenomenon, which was developed under various names as early as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/pure-phenomenology-claims-to-be-the-science-of-pure-phenomena-this/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [“Zu den Sachen selbst!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/zu-den-sachen-selbst/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [“Pay attention to the reactions of your body. It is the wisdom of the self speaking to you. Be aware of concern, of anticipation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/pay-attention-to-the-reactions-of-your-body-it-is-the-wisdom-of-the/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Mindfulness is a way to rebalance ourselves. Instead of being lost in thought, or caught up in emotional upheaval, we can tip the scale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-is-a-way-to-rebalance-ourselves-instead-of-being-lost-in/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Virtue could see to do what virtue would By her own radiant light, though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/virtue-could-see-to-do-what-virtue-would-by-her-own-radiant-light/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Knowledge studies others, wisdom is self known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/knowledge-studies-others-wisdom-is-self-known/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## More by Edmund Husserl > [Natural objects, for example, must be experienced before any theorizing about them can occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/natural-objects-for-example-must-be-experienced-before-any-theorizing/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [“Zu den Sachen selbst!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/zu-den-sachen-selbst/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [All perception is a gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/all-perception-is-a-gamble/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Pure phenomenology claims to be the science of pure phenomena. This concept of the phenomenon, which was developed under various names as early as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/pure-phenomenology-claims-to-be-the-science-of-pure-phenomena-this/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [The actuality of all of material Nature is therefore kept out of action and that of all corporeality along with it, including the actuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/the-actuality-of-all-of-material-nature-is-therefore-kept-out-of/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Experience by itself is not science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/experience-by-itself-is-not-science/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Within this widest concept of object, and specifically within the concept of individual object, Objects and phenomena stand in contrast with each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/within-this-widest-concept-of-object-and-specifically-within-the/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Something similar is still true of the courses followed by manifold intuitions which together make up the unity of one continuous consciousness of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/something-similar-is-still-true-of-the-courses-followed-by-manifold/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [I had to philosophize. Otherwise, I could not live in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/i-had-to-philosophize-otherwise-i-could-not-live-in-this-world/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [To begin with, we put the proposition: pure phenomenology is the science of pure consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/to-begin-with-we-put-the-proposition-pure-phenomenology-is-the/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Direct the glance of apprehension & inquiry to pure consciousness, in its own absolute Being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/direct-the-glance-of-apprehension-inquiry-to-pure-consciousness-in/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [To every object there correspond an ideally closed system of truths that are true of it and, on the other hand, an ideal system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/to-every-object-there-correspond-an-ideally-closed-system-of-truths/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [It just is nothing foreign to consciousness at all that could present itself to consciousness through the mediation of phenomena different from the liking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/it-just-is-nothing-foreign-to-consciousness-at-all-that-could-present/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [We would be in a nasty position indeed if empirical science were the only kind of science possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/we-would-be-in-a-nasty-position-indeed-if-empirical-science-were-the/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [Without troublesome work, no one can have any concrete, full idea of what pure mathematical research is like or of the profusion of insights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/without-troublesome-work-no-one-can-have-any-concrete-full-idea-of/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) [Explore all 30 Edmund Husserl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) ## More Epoch quotes > [The epoch of Customary Law, and of its custody by a privileged order, is a very remarkable one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james-sumner-maine/the-epoch-of-customary-law-and-of-its-custody-by-a-privileged-order/) [Henry James Sumner Maine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james-sumner-maine/) > [Up to the 20th century, we can say that this whole period was an Earth epoch, 'Earth' meaning the riches of the earth, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/up-to-the-20th-century-we-can-say-that-this-whole-period-was-an-earth/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [The intensive use of photographs by mass media lays ever fresh responsibilities upon the photographer. We have to acknowledge the existence of a chasm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/the-intensive-use-of-photographs-by-mass-media-lays-ever-fresh/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [When you think about what Homo sapiens are about, you almost feel that we are replacing ourselves. We won't be able to breathe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-think-about-what-homo-sapiens-are-about-you-almost-feel-that/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [Buddhism, I think, is probably facing the single most difficult transition from one historical epoch to another, which is really the transition to modernity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/buddhism-i-think-is-probably-facing-the-single-most-difficult/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) > [Here and there, in some older houses, old faded daguerreotypes still hang on the walls... They seem to us to be very simple... compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/here-and-there-in-some-older-houses-old-faded-daguerreotypes-still/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [Amongst the many definitions, there is one that may be generally agreed upon: modernity is the epoch in which simply being modern became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianni-vattimo/amongst-the-many-definitions-there-is-one-that-may-be-generally/) [Gianni Vattimo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianni-vattimo/) > [The civilization of one epoch becomes the manure of the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/the-civilization-of-one-epoch-becomes-the-manure-of-the-next/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [I'm a joker who has understood his epoch and has extracted all he possibly could from the stupidity, greed and vanity of his contemporaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/i-m-a-joker-who-has-understood-his-epoch-and-has-extracted-all-he/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [We are at a major epoch in human history, which is that we don't need sex to recreate the race. You can have babies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/we-are-at-a-major-epoch-in-human-history-which-is-that-we-don-t-need/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) > [In the midst of each epoch, I fully realize that a new epoch will dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/in-the-midst-of-each-epoch-i-fully-realize-that-a-new-epoch-will-dawn/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [The publication in 1859 of the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin made a marked epoch in my own mental development, as it did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-galton/the-publication-in-1859-of-the-origin-of-species-by-charles-darwin/) [Francis Galton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-galton/) > [All freed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/all-freed-fast-frozen-relations-with-their-train-of-ancient-and/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [In our case, we are in the Cenozoic Era, which started at the end of the time of the dinosaurs. We are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lacovara/in-our-case-we-are-in-the-cenozoic-era-which-started-at-the-end-of/) [Kenneth Lacovara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lacovara/) > [Therefore, let me in honesty speak the truth about our epoch and people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-sander/therefore-let-me-in-honesty-speak-the-truth-about-our-epoch-and-people/) [August Sander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-sander/) [Browse all 188 Epoch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epoch/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“First, anyone who seriously intends to become a philosopher must \"once in his life\" withdraw into himself and attempt, within himself, to overthrow and build anew all the sciences that, up to then, he has been accepting. Philosophy wisdom (sagesse) is the philosophizer's quite personal affair. 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