Full Idea
Husserl contends that 0 is not a number, on the grounds that 'nought' is a negative answer to the question 'how many?'.
Gist of Idea
0 is not a number, as it answers 'how many?' negatively
Source
report of Edmund Husserl (Philosophy of Arithmetic [1894], p.144) by Michael Dummett - Frege philosophy of mathematics Ch.8
Book Reference
Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.95
A Reaction
I seem to be in a tiny minority in thinking that Husserl may have a good point. One apple is different from one orange, but no apples are the same as no oranges. That makes 0 a very peculiar number. See Idea 9838.
Related Idea
Idea 9838 Treating 0 as a number avoids antinomies involving treating 'nobody' as a person [Frege, by Dummett]