The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and WrongBrentano, Franz
Philosophy
The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong
Brentano, Franz
Ethics
Franz Brentano, son of Christian Brentano, and nephew of Clemens
Brentano and Bettina von Arnim, was born on January 16, 1838, at
Marienberg, near Boppard on the Rhine. He early embraced the study of
philosophy and theology, both at Berlin, under Trendelenburg, and also
at Munich. In 1864 he was ordained priest, and two years later became
_privat docent_ in the University of Würzburg. In 1873 he was appointed
professor there, but in the same year resigned his office in consequence
of his changed attitude towards the Church, and as an opponent of the
Vatican Council. Somewhat later, in response to this change in his
convictions, he separated himself definitely from the Church.
In 1874 Brentano received a call to the University of Vienna, and
continued there teaching Philosophy until 1895, first as ordinary
professor, and afterwards, having meantime renounced his professorship,
as _privat docent_. The reasons which led him to retire from this post
also, are set forth in his work, _My Last Wishes for Austria_
(Stuttgart, 1895). After withdrawing from his post as teacher he took up
his residence at Florence.
Brentano regards Aristotle as his real teacher in philosophy, and his
two earliest publications, _Von der mannigfachen Bedeutung des Seienden
nach Aristoteles_ (Freiburg, i. Br. 1862), and _Die Psychologie des
Aristoteles insbesondere seine Lehre vom_ νοῦς ποιητικός (Mainz, 1867),
are a testimony to his comprehensive study and thorough knowledge of
Aristotelian philosophy. Especially is he in agreement with the
Stagirite regarding the high position he would assign to the application
of the empirical method as the only one which, in regard alike to
scientific and philosophical problems, is able by cautious and gradual
advance, to attain to knowledge. These first principles of method,
especially in their relation to psychological research, he has set forth
and practised in his first systematic work, _Psychologie vom Empirischen
Standpunkte_ (vol. i., Leipzig, 1874). It was also his regard for this
method of inquiry which early imbued him with a special interest for the
works of the most eminent English philosophers of modern times, not only
John Locke and David Hume, but also Bentham, the two Mills, Jevons and
others. A study of these writers led Brentano to enter at length in his
Würzburg lectures into a critical and explanatory treatment of English
psychology and logic, characterizing it as a source of instruction and
inspiration at a time when other distinguished advocates of German
philosophy looked askance at this attitude towards English thought,
believing that by its contact with English writers the peculiar
character of German thought might suffer. It will be observed that only
the first volume of the _Psychology from the Empirical Standpoint_ has
hitherto appeared, and it seems hardly likely that the work in its
present form will be continued, for further reflection convinced
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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