Central and East European
Society for Phenomenology

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263622

Comte, Mill, and Brentano on the intellectual status of philosophy and its relationship to history

Nicholas Capaldi

pp. 9-30

Abstract

The discipline of philosophy has long presumed that it is the meta-discipline presiding over all others and that it can do so unencumbered by anything except reason. In the 18th century, this view was challenged by Vico, who suggested that reasoning could not be divorced from context. In the 19th century, history challenged the status of philosophy. The important philosophical question broached by 19th century thinkers was the question: what is the intellectual status of philosophy itself? In understanding ourselves and our thoughts about ourselves, what is our ontological status and what is the best epistemological approach? Are we ontologically mechanical, organic or sui generis? Should we adopt the perspective of the isolated thinker, isolated agent, social context thinker, or social context agent? Among the many 19th century philosophers who addressed this question, three stand out because they engaged in a kind of conversation on this topic: Comte, Mill, and Brentano.

Publication details

Published in:

Tănăsescu Ion, Bejinariu Alexandru, Krantz Gabriel Susan, Stoenescu Constantin (2022) Brentano and the positive philosophy of Comte and Mill: with translations of original writings on philosophy as science by Franz Brentano. Berlin, de Gruyter.

Pages: 9-30

DOI: 10.1515/9783110734645-003

Full citation:

Capaldi Nicholas (2022) „Comte, Mill, and Brentano on the intellectual status of philosophy and its relationship to history“, In: I. Tănăsescu, A. Bejinariu, S. Krantz Gabriel & C. Stoenescu (eds.), Brentano and the positive philosophy of Comte and Mill, Berlin, de Gruyter, 9–30.