The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and WrongBrentano, Franz
Philosophy
The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong
Brentano, Franz
Ethics
Somewhat later we meet a third argument which, as I have already by
anticipation refuted it in my _Psychology_ (book ii. chap. 7, section
v.), will be treated quite shortly here. If the negative judgment
were a direct one, co-ordinated with the affirmative judgment as
species then, thinks Sigwart (p. 155 seq.), whoever in an affirmative
categorical proposition regards the affirmation of the subject as
involved must, to be consistent, regard the denial of the subject
as involved in the negative proposition, which is not the case. The
latter observation is correct, the former assertion, however, quite
untenable, as it involves in itself a contradiction. For exactly
because the existence of each part in a whole is involved in the
existence of the whole, the whole no longer exists if but one of its
parts is missing.
It only remains now to consider a point of language by which Sigwart
believes himself able to support his view. A testimony for it is,
he thinks, to be found in the fact that the symbol for the negative
judgment is formed in every case by means of a combination with the
symbol of affirmation, the word “not” being added to the copula. In
order to judge what is here actually the fact, we will glance for a
moment at the sphere of feeling. Sigwart agrees, I think, with me and
everybody else that pleasing and displeasing, rejoicing and sorrowing,
loving and hating, etc., are co-ordinate with each other. Yet a
complete series of expressions denoting a disinclination of feeling
are found in dependence upon the expression for the corresponding
inclination. For example, inclination, disinclination; pleasure,
displeasure; ease, disease; Wille, Widerwille; froh, unfroh; happy,
unhappy; beautiful, unbeautiful; pleasant, unpleasant;--even “ungut”
is used. The explanation of this is, I believe, not difficult for the
psychologist, notwithstanding the equally primordial character of
these opposite modes of feeling. Ought then the explanation of the
phenomenon lying before us in the expression of the negative judgment,
closely related as it is to the before mentioned phenomenon, to be
really so very difficult, even assuming the primordial character?
As a matter of fact the case must be very bad when thinkers like
Sigwart in making statements so important in principle, and at the
same time so unusual, have to resort to arguments so weak.
2. The grounds on which Sigwart’s doctrine concerning the negative
judgment rest have, therefore, each and all proved untenable. This
must be so; for how could the truth of any doctrine be shown which
would plunge everything into the greatest confusion?
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