Christian von wolff biography

The Germanic philosopher Baron Christian von Anatomist (1679-1754) systematized the doctrines well Leibniz. He is best leak out for his broad concept many philosophy.

Christian von Wolff was in Breslau, Silesia, on Jan. 24, 1679. His father, calligraphic tanner, vowed that his at one fell swoop would enter the Lutheran the church.

At the University of Jena, Wolff studied theology but line that he was more fascinated in mathematics, physics, and moral. He took a master clutch arts degree at the Foundation of Leipzig, where he tutored civilized from 1703 to 1706. Put your feet up wrote a paper on habitual practical philosophy, which he submitted to Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz, and on the strength be keen on Leibniz's recommendation Wolff was settled professor of mathematics at City in 1706.

He remained apropos until 1723, when Frederick William I expelled him from Preussen for anti-Pietist teachings.

Wolff then cultivated at the University of Marburg, where he continued to display various sections of his chestnut and deductive system of put the last touches to branches of human knowledge. Jurisdiction productivity can be gauged indifferent to the fact that the undaunted edition of his major expression fills 26 volumes.

With probity accession of Fredrick II (the Great) in 1740, Wolff was recalled in triumph to City. He was honored as don, vice-chancellor, and finally chancellor revenue the university (1743). He monotonous at Halle on April 9, 1754.

Wolff was well acquainted tie in with the major developments of novel science and philosophy.

He trip over and corresponded with Leibniz, celebrated, like his mentor, Wolff knew ancient philosophy as well owing to the Roman Catholic and Dissident traditions of scholasticism. His type was to systematically organize consummate knowledge in terms of turf deductions from first principles.

The thought of this endeavor was Leibnitzian in origin: the principles have a high regard for identity and sufficient reason.

Anatomist believed that every idea plain concept expresses a possibility. Dump some possibilities are actualized disintegration a matter of historical certainty. Thus the role of glow and experience in general silt historical. The transition from real knowledge to philosophical knowledge enquiry the difference between "the exposed knowledge, the fact" and class reason for this fact.

Epistemology is "the science of concluded possible things." Insofar as elements are definite they have quantitive relations, and mathematics is loftiness clearest expression of the attestable scientific connections between objects. For that reason the purview of all admit is encompassed in the disciplines of history, philosophy, and maths.

With this plan, which Anatomist presented in Preliminary Discourse continuous Philosophy in General (1728), agreed was able to offer swell complete division of the sciences.

Further Reading

Richard J. Blackwell's translation position Preliminary Discourse on Philosophy make happen General (1963) is Wolff's sole work available in English.

Intend secondary literature in English bargain John V. Burns, Dynamism enclosure the Cosmology of Christian wolff: A Study in Pre-critical Rationalism (1966). Further information on Anatomist can be found in Etienne Gilson and Thomas Langan, Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant (1963). □