The History of Philosophy
is the exposition of philosophical opinions and of systems and schools of
philosophy. It includes the study of the lives of philosophers, the inquiry
into the mutual connection of schools and systems of thought, and the attempt
to trace the course of philosophical progress or retrogression. The nature and
scope of philosophy furnish reasons for the study of its history. Philosophy
does not confine its investigation to one or to several departments of
knowledge; it is concerned with the ultimate principles and laws of all things.
Every science has for its aim to find the causes of phenomena; philosophy seeks
to discover ultimate causes, thus carrying to a higher plane the unifying
process begun in the lower sciences. The vastness of the field of inquiry, the
difficulty of synthesizing the results of scientific investigation, and the
constantly increasing complexity of these results necessitated the gradual
development of philosophy. To each generation and to each individual the
problems of philosophy present themselves anew, and the influences, personal,
racial, climatic, social, and religious, which bear on the generation or on the
individual must be studied in order that the meaning and value of each doctrine
and system be understood and appreciated. Such influences are more than a
matter of mere erudition; they have their place in the praenotanda to
the solution of every important question in philosophy; for, as
Coleridge says, "the very fact that any doctrine has been believed by
thoughtful men is part of the problem to be solved, is one of the phenomena to
be accounted for." Moreover, philosophical doctrines, while they are to be
regarded primarily as contributions to truth, are also to be studied as vital
forces which have determined to a large extent the literary, artistic,
political, and industrial life of the world. Today, more than ever, it is
clearly understood that without a knowledge of these forces it is impossible to
comprehend the inner movements of thought which alone explain the outer actions
of men and nations.
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