Ontogenesis of the “why” question from the perspective of genetic epistemology, and its philosophical implications

The question “why” is generally thought to be one of the most important of philosophical questions. Indeed, many philosophers hold that it is responsible for defining the essential contours and identity of philosophical discourse itself. Moreover, all attempts to reject it are perceived as a manifestation of minimalist tendencies in philosophical research. This article presents Piaget’s views concerning the ontogenesis of the “why” question. After having reconstructed the latter, it seeks to spell out their potential philosophical implications. The author argues that ontogenetic considerations can certainly play a heuristic role in the formulation of philosophical theses and hypotheses, and that they can lead to a correcting of the conceptions we tend to have of certain philosophical questions – namely, ones that do not refer to any empirical data.