Modern philosophy from Descartes to Husserl is based on self-consciousness and reflection, so that one could describe this period of history of western philosophy, which had lasted about 400 years, with good reasons as philosophy of self-consciousness and reflection. The elementary motive of western philosophy in this period—which was called "transcendental" by Kant—constitutes the basis for the formation and development of the subject-object-model of thought and of the philosophy of subjectivity or Epistemology. It is today an admitted fact that all these elements have played a crucial role in the history of the west since 16th and 17th century and have also determined consequently the tendencies of development of the world history.