The historiographical concept ‘system of philosophy’: Its origin, nature, influence and legitimacy

Leo Catana

The historiographical concept ‘system of philosophy’: Its origin, nature, influence and legitimacy

Department of Communication

Abstract

Jacob Brucker (1696-1770) established the history of philosophy as a philosophical discipline in the 1740s. In order to separate this new discipline from other historical disciplines, he introduced the historiographical concept ‘system of philosophy’. The historian of philosophy should use this concept as a criterion of inclusion of past philosophies, and as an ideal form of exposition. The present book describes the origin of this historiographical notion, its implicit Protestant assumptions, and it traces the concept’s impact upon the methods of history of philosophy and history of ideas, as developed over the following centuries. Finally, it discusses the concept’s strenghts and weaknesses as a historiographical tool, arguing that it ought to be given up.

Anmeldelser: M. Sgarbi, in Historia philosophica, vol. 7 (2009), pp. 158-160; D. v. W., in Bruniana & Campanelliana, XV, 2009/2, pp. 554-555; P. R. Blum, in Intellectual history reivew, vol. 20.2 (2010), pp. 295-297.

Original language	English

Place of Publication	Leiden og Boston
Publisher	Brill
Number of pages	384
ISBN (Print)	9789004166486
Publication status	Published - 2008

Series	Brill’s studies in intellectual history
Number	165

Cite this

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title = "The historiographical concept {\textquoteleft}system of philosophy{\textquoteright}: Its origin, nature, influence and legitimacy",

abstract = "Jacob Brucker (1696-1770) established the history of philosophy as a philosophical discipline in the 1740s. In order to separate this new discipline from other historical disciplines, he introduced the historiographical concept {\textquoteleft}system of philosophy{\textquoteright}. The historian of philosophy should use this concept as a criterion of inclusion of past philosophies, and as an ideal form of exposition. The present book describes the origin of this historiographical notion, its implicit Protestant assumptions, and it traces the concept{\textquoteright}s impact upon the methods of history of philosophy and history of ideas, as developed over the following centuries. Finally, it discusses the concept{\textquoteright}s strenghts and weaknesses as a historiographical tool, arguing that it ought to be given up.Anmeldelser: M. Sgarbi, in Historia philosophica, vol. 7 (2009), pp. 158-160; D. v. W., in Bruniana & Campanelliana, XV, 2009/2, pp. 554-555; P. R. Blum, in Intellectual history reivew, vol. 20.2 (2010), pp. 295-297.",

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T1 - The historiographical concept ‘system of philosophy’

T2 - Its origin, nature, influence and legitimacy

AU - Catana, Leo

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N2 - Jacob Brucker (1696-1770) established the history of philosophy as a philosophical discipline in the 1740s. In order to separate this new discipline from other historical disciplines, he introduced the historiographical concept ‘system of philosophy’. The historian of philosophy should use this concept as a criterion of inclusion of past philosophies, and as an ideal form of exposition. The present book describes the origin of this historiographical notion, its implicit Protestant assumptions, and it traces the concept’s impact upon the methods of history of philosophy and history of ideas, as developed over the following centuries. Finally, it discusses the concept’s strenghts and weaknesses as a historiographical tool, arguing that it ought to be given up.Anmeldelser: M. Sgarbi, in Historia philosophica, vol. 7 (2009), pp. 158-160; D. v. W., in Bruniana & Campanelliana, XV, 2009/2, pp. 554-555; P. R. Blum, in Intellectual history reivew, vol. 20.2 (2010), pp. 295-297.

AB - Jacob Brucker (1696-1770) established the history of philosophy as a philosophical discipline in the 1740s. In order to separate this new discipline from other historical disciplines, he introduced the historiographical concept ‘system of philosophy’. The historian of philosophy should use this concept as a criterion of inclusion of past philosophies, and as an ideal form of exposition. The present book describes the origin of this historiographical notion, its implicit Protestant assumptions, and it traces the concept’s impact upon the methods of history of philosophy and history of ideas, as developed over the following centuries. Finally, it discusses the concept’s strenghts and weaknesses as a historiographical tool, arguing that it ought to be given up.Anmeldelser: M. Sgarbi, in Historia philosophica, vol. 7 (2009), pp. 158-160; D. v. W., in Bruniana & Campanelliana, XV, 2009/2, pp. 554-555; P. R. Blum, in Intellectual history reivew, vol. 20.2 (2010), pp. 295-297.

M3 - Doctoral thesis

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CY - Leiden og Boston

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