The Collected Works of EDITH STEIN ON THE PROBLEM OF EMPATHY

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Edith Stein
taken so literally.) Who can say whether there is genuine experience
present here or whether there is that unclearness about our
own motives rvhich u'e found in considering the "idols of self
knowledge"? But is not the essential possibility of genuine experi-
32> ence in this area already given with the delusions of such experience?
Nevertheless, the study of religious consciousnesseems to
me to be the most appropriate means of ansu'ering our question,
just as, on the other hand, its answer is of most interest for the
domain of religion. However, I leave the answering of this question
to f urther investigation and satisfy myself here u'ith a "non
liquet." "lt is not clear."
Personal Biography
Edith
f
Stein, rt,as born on October 12, l89l in Breslau, the
I, daughter of the deceased merchant Siegfried Stein and his
wif'e Auguste, n6e Courant. I am a Prussian citizen and Jewish.
Frorr.r October 1897 to Easter 1906 I lvent ro the \riktoriaschule
(municipal lyceum) in Breslau, and from Easter 1908 to Easter
l9ll to the Breslau Girls' Secondarv School [Studienanstalt
reaLgymnasiaLer Richtungl affiliated wirh it. Here I passed my
school certificate examination. In Ocrober l9l5 I obtained the
leaving certificate of a humanistic gymnasium by taking a supplementary
examination in Greek at Johannes Gymnasium in Breslau.
From Easrer l9l I to Easter l9 t 3 I studied philosophy, psychology,
history and German philology ar rhe University of Breslau,
then for fbur more semesters at the University rrf Gcittingen. In
January l9l5 I passed the Staatsexamen pro farultate doiendi in
philosophical propaedeutics, historf, and German. At the end of
this semester, I interrupted my studies and was for a time engaged
in the service of the Red Cross. From February to October
l9l6 I replaced an indisposed secondary school reacher ar tl-re
above mentioned Girls' Secondary School in Breslau. 'fhen I
moved to Freiburg in Br. in order to work as Professor Flusserl's
assistant.
At this time I would to extend my sincere thzrnks to all those
who have offered me stimulatiorr and challenge during my srudent
days, but above all, to those of'my teachers and student
associates through whom an approach to phenomenological philosophy
was opened to me: to Professor Husserl, Dr. Reinach,
and the Gdttingen Philosophical Societv.
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