»The book is of utmost interest for historians as well as for philosophers of mathematics. The two editors should be congratulated on this first-rate edition.« Eberhardt Knobloch, Mathematical Review
»Kurz und gut: der vorliegende Band erfüllt die selbstgesetzten Ansprüche der Herausgeber vollends. Er präsentiert in einer einer Studienausgabe angemessenen Form einen für die genannten Zwecke gut geeigneten Text Wolffs, der so das Verständnis von dessen Philosophie bei der geneigten Leser- und Studentenschaft sicherlich befördern wird.« Ulrich Vogel, Wissenschaftlicher Literaturanzeiger
Einleitende Abhandlung über Philosophie im allgemeinen
von Christian Wolff, herausgegeben von Günter Gawlick und Lothar KreimendahlChristian Wolff (1679–1754) is the most central character of the German Enlightenment. In Germany, his philosophy was predominant from the 1720s to the 1750s. In 1728 he started to publish his extensive Latin work, starting with the »Discursus praelimaris«. In this short and concise work he outlines the central points of his philosophy, treating the problem of the appropriate method of philosophy and the freedom to philosophise. The introduction sketches the location of the ›Discursus‹ within Wolff’s philosophical system, points out its structure, discusses the covered themes historically and systematically and opens an outlook to its history of reception and its importance to the German Enlightenment. The appendix discloses Wolff’s sources and provides historical background knowledge that is vital to the understanding of the text.