The philosophy of as if

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The philosophy of Als Ob is the main work of the philosopher Hans Vaihinger .

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The book presents an epistemology as well as a practical world view and view of life. Vaihinger describes human knowledge as erroneous and contradicting and asks the question of how the fact can be explained that one can nevertheless arrive at the right based on these false assumptions. Vaihinger's answer is that the assumptions are a practically useful fiction , and that knowledge can therefore only be substantiated pragmatically , through the success of its application. Religious and metaphysical views, like logic, are not true in an objective sense, since this cannot be determined. Instead, the question should be asked whether it is useful to act “as if” they were true.

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  • The philosophy of as if. System of the theoretical, practical and religious fictions of mankind based on an idealistic positivism. With an appendix on Kant and Nietzsche , 1911. - 2nd edition 1913, 3rd edition 1918, 10th edition 1927, reprint 1986.
  • Seventh and Eighth Editions : 1922.
  • Popular edition [based on the “ninth and tenth editions”]: 1923 (second edition: 1924).
  • English edition under the title: The Philosophy of "As If". A System of the Theoretical, Practical and Religious Fictions of Mankind. Translation of the sixth German edition by C. K. Ogden: 1924 (of which: fourth edition: 1965). International Library of Psychology, Philosophy and Scientific Method
  • Italian edition with the title: La filosofia del »come se«. Sistema delle finzioni scientifiche, etico - pratiche e religose del genere umano. Trad. F. Voltaggio 1967.
  • “The Philosophy of As If.” Announcements about a new work just published under this title. From its editor H. Vaihinger. In: Kant Studies, Vol. 16 (1911), pp. 108–115.
  • Declaration regarding my authorship of the "Philosophy of As If". In: Kant studies. Vol. 16 (1911), pp. 522f.