Geschichte der Philosophie Grundlinien der Psychologic Die Entstehung der wirtschaftlichen Arbeit

Abstract

PROF. VORLANDER'S “Geschichte der Philosophie” is an attempt to compress into two small volumes an account of the course of development of philosophy from the earliest times to the present day. When it is added that the work includes a short account of the life and writings of almost every writer of any importance at all in philosophy during the last five-and-twenty centuries, little hope will be felt of the success of the author in his attempt. It is therefore of the highest credit to Prof. Vorlander that he has achieved the seeming impossible, and produced a work which is both eminently readable and strictly accurate. He displays complete mastery of his subject throughout, and a fine sense of the distinction between the relevant and the irrelevant, the latter quality being possibly in part due to the fact that he is a prominent representative of the Neo-Kantian school, and excels in the application of the critical method. The same fact explains why so large a portion of the second volume is allotted to a treatment of the philosophy of Kant, at the expense chiefly of the description of Hegelianism which follows, and which cannot but be considered extremely inadequate bv any school of philosophers. The last hundred pages of the book, on the philosophy of the present day (since 1840), make very interesting reading, and give much information not to be found outside the pages of “Ueberweg-Heinze”; but where so many names are mentioned, it is surely most surprising to find no reference whatever to William James and the pragmatic school, more particularly as the prodigious development of the science of psychology during the last few years and its significance for modern philosophy are distinctly emphasised. Geschichte der Philosophie. By Karl Vorlander, I. Band, pp. xiv+361; II. Band, pp. viii+512. (Leipzig: Durr'schen Buchhandlung, 1908.) Price 3.60 marks and 4.50 marks. Grundlinien der Psychologic. By Dr. Stephan Witasek. Pp. viii+392. (Leipzig: Durr'schen Buchhandlung, 1908.) Price 3 marks. Die Entstehung der wirtschaftlichen Arbeit. By Dr. Ed. Hahn. Pp. iv+109. (Heidelberg: Carl Winters Universitats-buchhandlung, 1908.) Price 2.50 marks.