Changyuan Chen

This article examines the early Foucault as a reader of Husserl, a frequently overlooked dimension of his thought that nonetheless paved the way for the Foucault we recognize today. Drawing on his recently published manuscripts on phenomenology, it reconstructs the distinctive interpretation of phenomenology that the young Foucault was developing. Influenced by Heidegger and Fink, he sought to understand the transcendental cogito along a non‐Cartesian path, thereby opening up phenomenology to ontological possibilities. Viewed through a Hegelian lens, he refused to confine phenomenology to mere descriptive analysis; instead, by tracing the interplay between the transcendental and the historical, he articulated a speculative orientation that characterized phenomenology as a “rationalism of being”. The article concludes by revisiting the cogito debate between Derrida and Foucault, revealing an unexpected proximity between the two philosophers.

Is a language truly suited for transcendental phenomenology possible? Can philosophers unambiguously express their thoughts after the phenomenological reduction? By exploring the perspectives of Fink and Levinas, I examine the thesis that philosophers do not possess a language uniquely their own—specifically, a proper transcendental language capable of expressing their thoughts adequately and unambiguously. In confrontation with Husserl, who maintains that such a language is attainable, both Fink and Levinas uncover a fundamental tension: while transcendental insights demand articulation, language remains bound to mundane experience, risking the distortion of those very insights. Though both thinkers advocate for a reduction of language, this reduction necessarily remains incomplete. The philosopher’s desire to thematize is thus overshadowed by the limitation of language itself. Yet, it is precisely this tension that reflects their shared commitment to a primordial ethical openness, albeit through distinct pathways.