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381. The scepticism of Hume only began to excite a sensation in Germany, when men had become in a manner weary of long and profound investigations, of which they had seen so many unsuccessful instances; and had tacitly 'adopted the conviction that Truth is not to be attained by any single system, but, like a ray of light, is refracted and dispersed through many. In the place, therefore, of profound and fundamental research succeeded a species of Eclecticism, which contented itself with adopting whatever had an appearance of probability to recommend it, more especially if it seemed likely to prove of popular utility. J. G. Sulzer, a clear-sighted and talented inquirer, who united powers of observation to those of speculation, hesitated between the views of Wolf's school and those of the British metaphysicians, and in his investigations respecting the fine arts, which have done him honour, made it his object to discover a moral principle to account for their influence. Yet he conferred some service on Esthetics. He also directed the attention of his countrymen to the speculations of Hume. Hitherto Eclecticism had proved a species of rampart against the overwhelming influence of particular systems; but at the epoch of which we are speaking it was nothing but a consequence of the doubt and uncertainty which embarrassed the reason of men. Empiricism had overpowered and stifled metaphysical inquiry, aided by the influence of French manners and literature, which found a powerful patron in Frederic the Great. Such a state of

› See BEAUSOBRE, Le Pyrrhonisme Raisonable, Berl. 1755, 8vo. 2 Born at Winterthur, 1720; died a professor at Berlin, 1779. J. G. SULZER, Moral. Betrachtungen über die Werke der Natur, herausg. von SACK, Berl. 1741, 8vo. Vorübungen zur Erweckung der Aufmersamkeit und des Nachdenkens, Berl. 1777, 3 Th. 8vo. Allgemeine Theorie der schönen Künste, Leipz. 1771–74, 2 B.; letzte Ausg. ebend. 1792-94, 4 B. Verm. Philos. Schriften, Leipz. 177385; 3te Aufl. 1800. Mit einer Biogr. Vorrede von v. Blankenburg, 2 B. 8vo. Particularly: Ueber den Ursprung der angenehmen und unangenehmen Empfindungen, Leipz. 1773, 8vo.

FORMEY, Eloge de M. Sulzer, Berl. 1779, 8vo. H. C. HIRZEL, An Gleim über Sulzer, den Weltweisen, 2 Th., Zurich, 1780, 8vo. Lebensbeschreibung, von ihm selbst aufgesetzt, Berl. 1809, 8vo.

3 On the philosophy of Frederic the Great consult FULLEBÖRN'S Collect. Fasc. VII.

things gave birth to the system of J. B. Basedow,' who nevertheless endeavoured to combine solidity of argument with popular utility-and proposed felicity, the sentiment of approbation, and analogy, as principles of Truth-at the same time that he admitted in certain cases the obligation of belief, as a species of probable supernatural knowledge. Then came the system of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, who endeavoured to unite elegance to perspicuity in his speculations on the principles of Taste and Psychology. Next, the Naturalism of G. S. Steinbart, and the Essays of J. A. Eberhard, a dexterous inquirer, who 1 Born at Hamburgh, 1723; died 1790.

JOH. BERNH. BASEDOW'S Philalethie, oder neue Anssichten in die Wahrheit und Religion der Vernunft bis in die Gränzen der Offenbarung, Altona, 1764, 2 Th. 8vo. Theoretisches System der gesunden Vernunft, Altona, 1765, 8vo. Prakt. Philos. fur alle Stände, Dessau, 1777, 2 vols. 8vo. See SCHLICHTEGROLL'S Nekrol. 1790, 2 vols. 2 Born at Dessau, 1729; died 1786.

STEINHEIM, Moses Mendelssohn und seine Schule, 1840.

MOSES MENDELSSOHN, Abh. über die Evidenz in den Metaph. WW. Berl. 1764, 4to.; 2te Aufl. 1786. Phædon, oder über die Unsterblichk. der Seele, Berl. 1767, 8vo.; 6te Aufl. herausg. von DR. FRIEDLANDER, Berlin, 1821, 8vo. Morgenstunden, oder Vorlesungen über das Daseyn Gottes, Berl. 1785. 2te Aufl. 1786, 2 B 8vo. Briefe über die Empfindungen, Berl. 1755, 8vo. Philosophische Schriften, Berl. 1761; 3te Ausg. 1777; 2 B. 8vo. Kleine Philos. Schriften mit einer Skizze seines Lebens von JENISCH (herausgegeben von Müchler), Berl. 1789, 8vo.

Leben und Meinungen Mendelssohns nebst dem Geiste seiner Schriften, Hamb. 1787, 8vo.

3 Born at Züllichau, 1729; died 1809.

GOTTHELF SAM. STEINBART'S System der reinen Philosophie, oder Glückseligkeitslehre des Christenthums, Züllichau, 1778; 4te Aufl. 1794. Philos. Unterhaltung zur weitern Aufklärung der Gluckseligkeitslehre, Heft I-III, Züllichau, 1782-86, 8vo. Gemeinnutzige Anleitung zum regelmässigen Selbstdenken, 3te Aufl. 1793, 8vo.

4 Born at Halberstadt, 1738; died a professor at Halle, 1809. Jo. AUG. EBERHARD, Allgem. Theorie des Denkens und Empfindens, Berl. 1776-86, 8vo. Neue Apologie des Sokrates, Berl. 1772-88. Von dem Begriffe der Philos. und ihren Theilem, Berl. 1778, 8vo. Kurzer Abriss der Metaphysik, Halle, 1794, 8vo. Vorbereitung zur Natürlichen Theologie, Halle, 1781, 8vo. Sittenlehre der Vernunft, Berl. 1781-86, 8vo. Theorie der schönen Künste und Wissenschaften, Halle, 1783; 3te Aufl. 1790, 8vo. Handbuch der Esthetik für gebildete Leser, 4 Th. Halle, 1803, sqq.; 2te Aufl. 1807, ff. 8vo. Geist des Urchristenthums, Berl. 1807, 8vo. Versuch einer Allge

had the merit of making an able attempt to revive the principles of Leibnitz, and distinguished himself in the application of philosophy. E. Platner also inclined to the ideas of Leibnitz, but with a more sceptical turn of mind and greater acuteness; and added some valuable inquiries into Anthropology and Physiology. The tendency to a system of mere Eudæmonism which had been remarked in Wolf's theory, betrayed itself in the modified form it assumed under the hands of Platner: according to whom happiness, or well-being, is the end of each and all living beings, and good is that which agrees with the happiness of individuals, and of all; Virtue being free-will directed towards the attainment of what is truly good.

Christian Garve made morality consist in the fulfilment of those laws which are obligatory on mankind at large, in all their various relations: such are the several principles of Virtue, Propriety, Benevolence, and Order. The revision of Philosophy, by Chph. Meiners, belongs to this period; and the controversy between J. C. Lossius, and the more meinen Deutschen Synonymik, 6 Th. Halle, 1795; 2te Aufl. 1820. Fortgesetzt von MAASS (XI-XII B). Vermischte Schriften, Halle, 1784, 8vo. Neueste vermischte Schriften, Halle, 1788, 8vo. Philosophisches Magazin, Halle, 1788-92; 4 Bde. 8vo. Philosophisches Archiv, 2 Bde. 1792-95, 8vo. See NICOLAI, Gedächtnisschrift auf J. A. EBERHARD, Berl. 1810, 8vo.

1 Born at Leipsic, 1744; died there, professor of Medicine and Philosophy, 1818.

E. PLATNER, Philosoph. Aphorismen, Leipzig, 1776-82, 2 Th. 8vo.; neue umgearbeitete Aufl. 1793-1800. Anthropologie für Aerzte und Weltweise, Leipz. 1772, 8vo. Neue Anthropologie, 1 B. Leipz. 1790, 8vo. Gespräche über den Atheismus. Leipz. 1781, 8vo. Lehrbuch der Logik und Metaphysik, Leipz. 1795, 8vo. For his life and charater see the Memoir published by his son in the Literary Journal of Jena, No. 38, 1819. 2 Born at Breslau, 1742; died, 1798.

CHR. GARVE, Abh. über die Verbindung der Moral und der Politik, Bresl. 1768. Betrachtungen über de allgem. Grundsätze der Sittenlehre, Bresl. 1798, 8vo. Versuche über verschiedne Gegenstände der Moral, etc., 2te Aufl. 1821, 8vo. Ueber das Daseyn Gottes, Bresl. 1802. 3 Born 1747; died 1810.

CHPH. MEINERS, Revision der Philosophie, 1 Th. Gött. u. Gotha, 1772, 8vo. Abriss der Psychologie, 1773. Grundriss der Seelenlehre, Leipz.. 1786. Untersuchungen über die Denk- und Willenskräfte, Gotting. 1806, 2 Th. 8vo. Verm. Philos. Schriften, Leipz. 1775-76, 3 Th. 8vo., with several other works on Psychology and Ethics.

4 JOH. CHRIST. LOSSIUS, Physische Ursachen des Wahren, Gotha

profoundly thinking J. N. Tetens, on the question whether Truth be or be not objective. The former derived the highest law of Thought from certain vibrations of the nervous system. To these we must add the popular Manuals of J. H. Feder, and J. A. H. Ulrich (§ 356, note),

Nevertheless, we may observe that the German nation always displayed its characteristic depth of research, and a regard for the sacred interests of mankind. Of this the pious C. F. Gellert is a sufficient proof; whose writings and lectures equally contributed to preserve a sense of religion and moral duty among his contemporaries.

382. In the place of Metaphysics, in Germany as in Great Britain, a species of empirical Psychology had acquired astonishing credit and influence. Tetens (mentioned in preceding section), particularly distinguished himself, by prosecuting the inquiries of Locke respecting the origin of knowledge, with great acuteness of intellect, and without any taint of materialism. He prosecuted investigations into the fundamental faculties of the soul; made it his object to 1775, 8vo. Unterricht der gesunden Vernunft, Gotha, 1777, 2 Th. 8vo. Neues philos. allgem. Reallexicon, Erf. 1803-7, 4 B. 8vo. 1 Born at Tettenbüll, 1736; died 1805.

JOH. NIC. TETENS, Philosophische Versuche über die menschliche Natur und ihre Entwickelung, Leips. 1776-77, 2 B. 8vo. Gedanken über einige Ursachen, warum in der Metaphysik nur wenige ausgemachte Wahrheiten sind, Bützow u. Wismar, 1760, 8vo. Ueber die allgem. speculative Philosophie, Bützow, 1775, 8vo. (anonym.)

2 Born, 1740; died a Privy-Councillor of Justice at Hanover, 1821. JOH. GE. HEINR. FEDER'S Institutiones Log. et Metaph. Fcf. 1777. Grundriss der philos. WW. Coburg, 1767, und G. A. TITTEL'S Erläu terungen dazu, 1785, 8vo. Grundsätze der Logik und Metaphysik, Götting. 1794, 8vo. Untersuchungen über den menschlichen Willen, dessen Naturtriebe, Veränderungen, etc., Gotting. und Lemgo, 179993, 4 Th. 8vo. ; 2te Aufl. 1783, sqq. with several other works. Ueber das moral. Gefuhl, Copenh. 1792, 8vo. J. G. H. FEDER'S Leben, Natur und Grundsätze (Autobiographie, von seinem Sohn herausgegeben). Leipzig, 1825, 8vo.

3 Born at Haynichen, 1715; died professor of moral philosophy at Leipsic, 1769.

CHR. FRCHGOTT GELLERT, Discours sur la Nature, et l'étendue et l'utilité de la Morale, Berl. 1764, 8vo. Moral. Vorlesungen, herausg. von A. SCHLEGEL und HEYER, 2 B., Leipz. 1770, 8vo. CHR. GARVE, Ammerkungen über Gellerts Moral, seine Schriften überh. und seinen Charakter, Leipz. 1770, 8vo. Gellerts sämmtl. Schriften, Leipz. 1769 -70, 7 Th. 8vo.

substantiate the proofs of an objective Truth, and to refute the scepticism of Hume; and thus eventually fell into the same path which was pursued by Kant. He attracted, however, little attention in his day. We may here place the anthropological researches of C. F. Irwing, J. H. Campe, Dietr. Tiedemann, Platner, Garve (see preceding section), C. Ph. Moritz, J. J. Engel, Fr. Joach. Eschenburg, of the able critic J. G. E. Lessing, and the theologian J. G. Von Herder, a man of comprehensive mind, besides many other writers on Esthetics, some of whom followed the principles promulgated in Great Britain (by Hutcheson, Gerard, Hume, Home, Burke, etc.); while others adopted the French 1 Born at Berlin, 1728; died 1801.

CARL FRANZ V. IRWING, Erfahrungen und Untersuchungen über den Menschen, Berl. 1778, 4 Th. 8vo.

2 Born at Teersen in Brunswick, 1746; died, 1818.

Empfindungs- und Erkenntnisskraft der menschl. Seele, 1776, 8vo. Ueber Empfindung und Empfindelei, Hamb. 1779. Sammlung einiger Erziehungsschriften, Hamb. 1777, 2 Th. 8vo. Theophron, Hamb. 1783, Braunschw, 1790, u. öfter.

3 Born 1749; died a professor at Marburg, 1806.

Untersuchungen über die Menschen, Leips. 1777-78, 3 Th. 8vo. Handbuch der Psychologie, herausgegeben von WACHLER, Leips. 1804,

8vo.

Born at Hameln, 1757; died, 1793. Aussichten zu einer Experimentalseelenlehre, 1782, 8vo. Magaz. zur Erfahrungsseelenlehre, 10 Th. 1793-95; und Selbstcharakteristik in Anton Reiser, 1785-90. Abh. über die bildende Nachahmung des Schönen, Braunschw. 1788, 8vo. Grundlinien zu einer vollständ. Theorie der schönen Kunste (besides several other works).

5 Born at Parchim, 1741; died, 1802. Besides several treatises on Esthetics; Der Philosoph fur die Welt, Leipz. 1775-77, 2 Th. 8vo.; neue Ausg. 1801, sqq.; and in his works, Berl. 1801, sqq. 6 B.

• Born at Hamburg, 1743; died, 1820. Entwurf einer Theorie und Litteratur des schönen Wissenschaften, Berl. 1713, 8vo. 4te Aufl. 1817, 8vo.

7 Born at Kamenz, 1729; died, 1781. Various Essays on Esthetics and Criticism, aud: Die Erziehung d. Menschengeschlechts. Sämmtl. Schriften, Berl. 1771–91. 30 B. 8vo.

8 Born at Morungen, 1744; died at Weimar, 1803. The author of various works on Phil., Hist., and the Fine Arts, particularly: Ideen zur Philos. der Gesch. der Menschheit (translated into English, under the title of Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man, by T. CHURCHILL, 4to. Lond. 1800, reprinted 2 vols. 8vo. 1803); Preisschrift über den Ursprung der Sprache seit, 1772–89. Adrastea; Kalligone; Terpsichore, etc.

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