Abstract

The article analyzes Edith Stein’s position between Husserl’s transcendental idealism and metaphysical realism, arguing that her thought cannot be reduced to the label of “realist phenomenology.” Through a close reading of _Introduction to Philosophy_ and _Potency and Act_, it is shown that Stein adopts a form of epistemological idealism that preserves the constitutive role of consciousness while safeguarding the ontological independence of reality. The study also addresses the widespread misconception that Husserl’s phenomenology is incompatible with Stein’s later metaphysical and theological commitments, emphasizing instead the continuity that Stein herself affirmed. This approach presents her as a bridge-builder between phenomenology and metaphysics, idealism and realism, whose work offers a sophisticated framework for rethinking the relationship between them.