The Doctrine of the Transcendent Use of the Principle of Causality in Kant, Herbart and Lotze: A Dissertation to Obtain the Degree of Doctor of ... the University of Leipzig (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from The Doctrine of the Transcendent Use of the Principle of Causality in Kant, Herbart and Lotze: A Dissertation to Obtain the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leipzig

Our definite topic is conveyed in the words: The Doctrine of the Transcendent Use of the Principle of Causality in Kant, Herbart and Lotze. The language is from Kant, and is used in the Kantian sense. We are the recipients of sensations and perceptions which con stitute a world of experience within ourselves. All philosophers admit, for some reason satisfactory to themselves, that within this world of experience the principle of causality finds a proper application. But our sensations are not themselves the things which may be supposed to lie at their base as their cause, and the question arises whether we can pass out over the boundaries of this experimental world, and affirm anything by help of our principle of a world beyond. If so, this would be to make a transcendent use of the principle (pure Reason p.

It is proposed, then, to examine the systems of these philosophers so far as may be necessary to give a clear view of their opinions upon this subject. We shall ask What they teach, endeavor to find the reasons which they give for their doctrine, compare their views with one another, and endeavor to estimate the positive results gained for philosophical science by the combined labors of the three. In this investigation our attention will be particularly directed to their views in reference to the two topics suggested above, the Ding an sick, to make use of Kant's term or the external cause of our sensations, and God. These will suffice to illustrate the doctrine of the three writers, and afi'ord sufficient materials for criticism. But under the former head one department, that of the soul considered in itself, will be for the most part excluded, as affording nothing for our purpose not gained from the consideration of the material world, and as leading us into too prolonged discussion for our present limits.

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Excerpt from The Doctrine of the Transcendent Use of the Principle of Causality in Kant, Herbart and Lotze: A Dissertation to Obtain the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leipzig

The present age busies Itself to a large extent with the problem of the grounds and extent of knowledge. One of the most important elements in this problem is that touching the principle of causality, which, since the time of Hume, has been the object of special discussion, and about which a variety of opinions have been held. The interests connected with this question are great, for, on the one hand, natural science does not satisfy the desires and impulses of man until he has arrived at some opinion as to the nature of things considered independently of our experience, and, on the other hand, theology seeks for faith the support which can be derived from rational arguments for the being and nature of God. In the strife of opinions, the best results are gained by those who are content to listen to the utterances of the wise, and accept that which has, on the whole, been found most capable of standing the tests of experience and criticism. And a consideration of the views of great men upon this topic will be likely to be rich in practical instruction. It is accordingly the object of the present dissertation to institute a comparison between the views of three great philosophers upon the limits of the application of the principle of causality.

The authors selected are Kant, Herbart and Lotze. Kant began the critical study of this subject in Germany, and has contributed more to it than any other one man. If we turn aside from the idealistic schools which succeeded Kant, as likely to give us little more instruction than is contained in him, Herbart is the next great German philosopher. Although Fichte was his immediate teacher, he was, in a large sense, a pupil of Kant, even though strongly opposed to him in many points. He is connected with Kant, and yet he shows us a contrary side of the question, while Lotze, who was formed very largely by the genius of Herbart, stands in still closer connection with Kant, and thus combines in himself to a great extent the excellencies of both of these writers.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.