History of Philosophy, Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from History of Philosophy, Vol. 1

IS the history of philosophy only a history of error? The history of philosophy is also a true and real philosophy. It is not, as some uninformed individuals have incorrectly supposed, a history of errors. Rightfully and manfully did Hegel refute a conception of the history of philosophy that made of it a disorderly aggregation of opinions. Profound thinkers are fully aware that the history 'of philosophy is an arduous and honorable search for truth. Not only is it an honorable search, but it is a constant one as well, possessing inner continuity.

Or the truth in its entirety? But neither is it true that such a history is, as Hegel, who falls into an error at the other extreme, so boldly states, a system in evolution. It is not a presentation of the gradual and progressive self-revelation of the mind and of truth, in which everything follows so logically that we may anticipate the shape of things to come from what has gone before, just as in a textbook of geometry one proposition is developed from the preceding.

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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.

Excerpt from History of Philosophy, Vol. 1

The History of Philosophy as a Historical Science

The history of philosophy is both a science history and philosophy; it links two different fields of endeavor. As a science of history it seeks to acquaint us with the wealth of thought bequeathed by the philosophers of the past and of the present. For this reason it provides us with whatever is known of their lives, their works, and their systems. In so doing it not only portrays what once actually existed but also, by developing the notions and the thoughts that have been or are current, seeks to make accessible to us a knowledge of this rich heritage. This is accomplished by examining the origins of both the men and their works, by placing them in their proper relation to greater spheres of thought, by correlating them with other contributions and with the all-pervading spiritual and cultural currents among peoples of various eras, and finally by unfolding for us the fundamental suppositions and the ultimate assumptions from which the concepts, the problems, and the teachings of philosophy have originally sprung as from a matrix.

Should the history of philosophy attempt to present things as they were in reality, it would by that very fact determine for itself a definite method: on the one hand, a continuous use of sources; and, on the other, a demand for objectivity or freedom from bias. The use of sources is a special achievement of the modern science of history. Antiquity and the Middle Ages had to be content with only seconder third-hand reports. Today, however, we not only consult the sources but we also ascertain with critical and painstaking diligence whether the writings which appear under the name of a certain philosopher actually stem from him, whether his manuscripts have been preserved without falsification, and in which period of his creative ability they were written (textual criticism and chronology). The history of philosophy is therefore an introduction to the works of the philosophers themselves.

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.