The Influence of Adolf Reinach on Edith Stein’s Concept of the State: Similarities and Differences

Abstract

Adolf Reinach’s theory of law and Stein’s concept of the state provide evidence of the coincidence of independently-reached conclusions but also of insights gained by fruitful interchanges that took place among that first group of early twentieth century phenomenologists that appeared after the publication of Husserl’s Logical Investigations. We will point out elements in Reinach’s a priori theory of law that had considerable influence on Edith Stein’s reflections on community, society and, above all, the state, understood as a higher-order political reality that requires particular analysis. Both philosophers apply the phenomenological method rather than looking to particular empirical, historical data, although it is important to observe that the phenomenologists did not ignore the latter. Rather, they seek to account for the particular, historical, factual world with great clarity and depth by a prior analysis grounded in Husserl’s philosophy.