We begin with the starting point of transcendental phenomenology, the transcendental reduction. After outlining the basic features of the epoché, or bracketing of the world's validity-claim, which is the condition for the progressive "turn-back" (re-ductio), we then proceed to other themes which relate Husserl's reduction to broader concerns of his philosophy and especially the foundations of ethics and social philosophy, the theme of this book. We will start with Husserl's favorite metaphor.