On Reality and Rationality

In my answer to Antonio Zirión’s commentary, I propose an account of the “Realität”/“Wirklichkeit” distinction within Husserl’s work as well as of its significance for Husserl’s formulation of metaphysics as the ultimate science of factual reality. According to my reading, Husserl avails himself of both terms to indicate the actual world. However, while the term “Wirklichkeit” foregrounds the actuality of the world, the term “Realität” evokes its essential features as against the irreality of consciousness and the ideality of essences, propositions, and numbers. Furthermore, I try to offer a brief characterization of the idea of metaphysics as the ultimate science of factual reality and of the connection between the irrationality of the transcendental fact and teleology, which sidesteps the terminological issues connected with the notion of reality and rationality.