Philosophers Bozidar Knezevic and Branislav Petronijevic: Between myth and reality

Abstract

In literature on Serbian history of philosophy it is quite usual to find a statement that Branislav Petronijevic (1875-1954), professor of philosophy at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy thwarted the efforts of the philosopher and historian Bozidar Knezevic (1862-1905) to become a professor at the same Faculty. It is said that Petronijevic wrote a negative official review on Knezevic?s book Principles of History. The story fits well with the negative myth of Petronijevic. To establish the facts it is important to take into account the chronology, archival materials, memoirs and other historical sources. When Knezevic applied for the position of a professor of general history at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy Petronijevic was a 21 years old student at the University of Leipzig (1897). Ljubomir Nedic, then a professor of philosophy at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy, recommended publishing Knezevic?s first volume of Principles of History (1898). In the meantime Knezevic did not apply for the position of a professor of History of Philosophy and Ethics (February, 1898). Petronijevic did not write an official review on Knezevic?s manuscript, but a review of an already published book (September, 1898). The Principal educational council of the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Serbia asked Nedic to write an official review of the manuscript of the second volume of Knezevic?s Principle of History (1899). Since Nedic couldn?t accept it, the newly elected professor Petronijevic wrote a review of Knezevic?s new manuscript. Although critical and analytical, the review was positive and the book was published (1901).