Brentano Franz - The Origin of Our Knowledge of Right and Wrong

The first edition of Franz Brentanos Vom Ursprung sittlicber Erkenntnis was published in 1889 by Duncker & Humblot in Leipzig. This was translated by Cecil Hague and published in 1902 by Archibald Constable & Co., Ltd., in London. A second edition, edited by Oskar Kraus, was published by Felix Meiner in Leipzig in 1921. This edition contained as Appendices nine supplementary essays from Brentanos Nachlass, as well as an Introduction and explanatory notes by Kraus. A third revised edition, edited by Kraus, was published by Felix Meiner in 1934.

The present translation is a translation of Krauss third edition. It differs from Krauss edition in the following respects. It includes everything that Brentano had included in his first edition (Kraus had omitted the essay, Miklosich on Subjectless Propositions, since this was included in the second edition of Brentanos Psychologie vom empirischen Standpunkt, published by Felix Meiner in 1925). Some of Krauss notes and parts of the Introduction have been abbreviated, some of the notes have been omitted, and references have been brought up to date. I have added a few brief notes; these have my initials.

Two works that had not appeared when Kraus wrote his Introduction may be brought to the readers attention. One is Brentanos Grundlegung und Aufbau der Ethik (Bern: A. Francke, 1952), edited by Professor Franziska Mayer-Hillebrand of Innsbruck. This book was prepared from Brentanos notes for his lectures on Practical Philosophy, given at the University of Vienna from 1876 to 1894. It is now being translated into English by Elizabeth Schneewind. The other is Krauss own Die Werttheorien: Geschichte und Kritik (Brnn: Richard M.Rohrer, 1937). This is a most useful and informative discussion of the history of the theory of value up to the 1930s, seen from the point of view of the book that is here translated.

The present translation, which is completely new, was prepared by Elizabeth Schneewind and myself. To avoid confusion, we have retained the title that Cecil Hague used for his translation of the first edition. We wish to thank Miss Linda L. McAlister for a number of helpful suggestions and criticisms.

RODERICK M.CHISHOLM

Brown University