Franz Brentano

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Franz Brentano in Vienna, 1890

Franz Clemens Honoratus Hermann Brentano (16 January 1838 – 17 March 1917) was an influential German philosopher, psychologist, and priest who is best known for his work in psychology, logic, and ethics. His approach to philosophy was characterized by an emphasis on descriptive psychology, which he believed was the foundation of all philosophy. Brentano is often credited with pioneering the phenomenology movement and influencing a generation of philosophers, including Edmund Husserl, Kazimierz Twardowski, Alexius Meinong, and Sigmund Freud, among others.

Biography

Franz Brentano was born in Marienberg am Rhein, a town in the Rhine Province of Prussia (now in Germany), into a prominent Italian-German family. His early education was deeply rooted in Catholicism, and he was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1864. However, his questioning of the infallibility of the Pope led him to leave the priesthood in 1873.

Brentano's academic career began in earnest when he was appointed to the University of Würzburg in 1872. Later, he moved to the University of Vienna, where he became an influential figure, attracting many students who would go on to become prominent philosophers in their own right. Despite his significant contributions to philosophy and psychology, Brentano was never granted tenure at Vienna, largely due to his departure from the Church.

Philosophical Work

Brentano's philosophy was rooted in the study of the human mind. He proposed that the primary object of psychology is the study of mental phenomena, which he defined as acts of consciousness. These acts, according to Brentano, are characterized by their intentionality, or the ability to be about or directed towards something. This concept of intentionality became a central theme in phenomenology and existential philosophy.

In his seminal work, Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint (1874), Brentano argued for a clear distinction between mental and physical phenomena and suggested that the former could be studied scientifically through the careful observation of consciousness. He also made significant contributions to ethics, logic, and the philosophy of religion.

Legacy

Franz Brentano's influence on 20th-century philosophy is profound. His ideas laid the groundwork for the development of phenomenology, a movement that would deeply influence existentialism, hermeneutics, and deconstruction. His concept of intentionality has been a central topic in both analytic and continental philosophy, impacting discussions on the nature of mind, language, and reality.

Brentano's students, such as Edmund Husserl, took his ideas in new directions, further shaping the landscape of modern philosophy. Through his teaching and writing, Brentano contributed to the revival of interest in the philosophy of Aristotle and helped establish psychology as a separate scientific discipline.

Selected Works

• Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint (1874)
• The Origin of Our Knowledge of Right and Wrong (1889)
• Descriptive Psychology (1890)

See Also

• Phenomenology
• Intentionality
• History of Psychology