A Biographical History Of Philosophy

A BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY - ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY PREFACE - To write the Biography of Philosophy while writing the Biographies of Philosophers is the aim of the following work. The expression Biography of Philosophy, though novel, may perhaps be pardoned, because it characterizes a novel attempt. There have been numerous histories of philosophical schools some of these learned and laborious chronicles being little more than a collection of fragments and opinions others critical estimates of various systems and others attempting to unite both of these plans. But the rise, growth, and development of Philosophy, as exhibited in these philosophical schools-in a word, the Life of Philosophy-has yet, I believe, had no biographer. My conception of such a task, and the principles which have guided the composition of the present attempt, are stated in the Introduction. It is usual, in presenting to the public a work destined for instruction, to show that such a work is wanted and, if other works on the subject already exist, to express a proper dissatisfaction at them, as an excuse for ones own audacity. So reasonable a practice invites imitation, even at the risk of appearing presumptuous. That a History of Philosophy is an important subject may be token for granted and although I by no means claim for the present work that it should supersede others, I do think that existing works have not rendered it superfluous. Stanleys Lives of the Philosophers, the delight of my boyhood, though a great work, considering the era in which it was produced, had long been obsolete when Dr. Enfield undertook his abridgment of Brucker and, although the translation of Ritters History of Philosophy hasdriven Enfield from the shelves of the learned, yet its cost and voluminousness have prevented its superseding Enfield with the many. Dr. Enfield was a man equally without erudition and capacity, and he simply abridged the ill-digested work of a man of immense erudition. Brucker was one of the learned and patient Germans, whose industry was so indefatigable that his work can hardly become altogether superseded it must remain one great source whence succeeding writers will draw. But, although he deserves the title of Father of the History oi Philosophy, his want of sagacity, and of philosophical, no less than literary attainments, effectually prevent his ever again being regarded otherwise than as a laborious compiler. Dr. Enfields Abridgment possesses all the faults of arrangement and dulness of Bruckers work, to which he has added no in-. considerable dulness and blundering of his own. Moreover, his references are shamefully inaccurate. Yet his book has been reprinted in a cheap form, and extensively bought-it certainly has not been extensively read. Ritters History of Philosophy is a work of reputation. This reputation, however, is higher in France and England than in Germany and the reason is apparent we have so little of our own upon the subject, that a work like Ritters is a great acquisition. In Germany they have so many works of all degrees of excellence and in all styles, that the great advantage of Ritter-his erudition-becomes of very secondary importance, while his deficiencies are keenly felt...