The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and WrongBrentano, Franz
Philosophy
The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong
Brentano, Franz
Ethics
From all this Miklosich draws the conclusion that his subjectless
propositions are completely assured. And not only does he consider their
existence beyond doubt, he further shows that their appearance is by no
means so rare as might be supposed from the controversy into which it
has been necessary to enter concerning them. Their great variety had led
him, in the second part of his treatise (pp. 33-72) to set forth their
chief classes, and there we find subjectless propositions with the
Active Verb, the Reflexive Verb, the Passive Verb and the verb “to be,”
each of these four classes being illustrated by means of numerous
examples from the most various languages. This is especially the case
with the first class, where he makes an eightfold division with the
object of grouping the propositions according to the difference in their
content. He mentions as universally true (p. 6) that the finite verb of
the subjectless propositions always stands in the third person singular,
and, where the form admits a difference of gender, in the neuter.
In other directions also he traces the matter further. He shows how
these propositions did not arise later than those which predicate
something of a subject, but appear from the very outset among the
various forms of propositions (p. 13 seq., p. 19), and how, in the
course of time, they have disappeared from several languages (p. 26). He
proves that the languages in which they are preserved enjoy an
advantage, inasmuch as their application lends to the language a special
liveliness (26), and he shows how in other respects also it is not
always possible to substitute for the subjectless proposition the
categorical form, with which it is supposed to be identical. “Ich
friere” is, for instance, not fully identical with “mich friert.”
Instead of, was frierst du draussen? Komme doch herein! we cannot say:
was friert dich’s draussen? etc. “Mich friert” cannot be applied if I
expose myself voluntarily to the cold (p. 37).
II
This, shortly, is the substance of his book, regarding which I venture
to make a few critical observations.
I have sufficiently expressed in this summary, my approval of the
treatise in general, especially in respect of the main argument. The
proofs appear to me to be of so cogent a nature, that even the unwilling
will scarcely be able to escape from the truth. Quite independent of
these arguments, however, I had myself, long ago, arrived at the same
view, by way of a purely psychological analysis, and gave, in the most
decisive manner, public expression to it, when in 1874 I published my
_Psychology_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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