Common sense philosophy
The Scottish Common Sense Realism is a philosophical direction of the role of common sense (an English expression with partial semantic correspondence with common sense and common sense in German philosophy) for the philosophical knowledge questioned and these relatively positive assessment. A synonymous name is Scottish School . Specifically, it refers to the corresponding direction of common sense philosophy in the 18th and 19th centuries in Scotland. She stepped on the one hand against French materialism and on the other hand against the teachings of skepticism of the Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711–1766). Hans-Georg Gadamer speaks of Scottish philosophy .
High phase: Thomas Reid
Thomas Reids (1710–1796) investigation of the human mind according to the principles of common sense (1764) can be regarded as the founding document of a systematic philosophy of common sense . In contrast to John Locke , George Berkeley and David Hume , this enlightener taught that man intuitively perceives reality himself. Reid held the assumption that people only have immediate knowledge of the contents of ideas (ideas) to be incompatible with common sense, and taught that in the experience of "things" one is not only dealing with "ideas of things". The direction Reid directed was followed by a number of other Scottish philosophers. James Beattie (1735–1803) reveals the subjective character of common-sense even more clearly than with Reid . Beattie saw as true what our nature is to believe. Dugald Stewart (1753–1828) warned against overstretching the principle of common sense. He suggested that instead of common sense principles, we should speak of the basic laws of human belief and, as such, only recognize the most general requirements - e.g. B. in relation to the existence of material things. With William Hamilton (1788-1856) the common sense philosophy combined with transcendental philosophical arguments of the Kantian critique of reason and was sharply criticized in this form by John Stuart Mill . Another representative of the Scottish school is Thomas Brown (1778–1820).
Reception in America
Hutcheson's moral philosophy and Reid's common sense philosophy played the predominant role in American universities in the late 19th century.
During the American War of Independence Thomas Paine published his work Common Sense , in which he described the colonial policy of the English King George III. Sharp attack in North America. The writing was widely used and was an important document of the American independence movement.
With his writing, Paine used both lines of interpretation of the common sense: By listing the arguments for independence, he addressed common sense as well as the sensus communis insofar as the political goal of independence was the common good.
20th Century Philosophy
In the 20th century, the common sense philosophy found a continuation in George Edward Moore , who explicitly linked to the Scottish tradition.
Odo Marquard's philosophy can also be viewed as a common sense philosophy.
literature
- Works of common sense philosophy
- Thomas Reid : Inquiry into the human mind according to the principles of common sense . Ed. Hans-Peter Schütt . Manutius Verlag , Heidelberg 1992 ISBN 3-925678-27-1 (first 1764)
- Paul Henri Thiry d'Holbach : Common sense. After the translation by Samuel Ludvigh , ed. And commentary by Gottfried Beyvers, Angelika Penzkofer-Beyvers. Alibri Verlag , Aschaffenburg 2016 ISBN 3-86569-234-6 (first 1772)
- George Edward Moore : A Defense of Common Sense. Five essays from the years 1903–1941 (orig. “A Defense of Common Sense”, 1925). Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1969
- Secondary literature
- Helga Albersmeyer-Bingen: Common Sense. A contribution to the sociology of knowledge (sociological writings, 45). Duncker & Humblot , Berlin 1986, ISBN 3-428-06099-7 (also Diss. Phil. University of Bonn 1985)
- Wilfried Träder: The Common Sense Philosophy Thomas Reids. In: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie , vol. 37 (1989) ISSN 0012-1045 pp. 518-525
- Wolfgang Röd: The way of philosophy . Vol. 2. 17th to 20th century . CH Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Frankfurt 1996. ISBN 3-406-38389-0 pp. 98-99
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Georgi Schischkoff (Hrsg.): Philosophical dictionary. Kröner, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-520-01321-5 , keyword Scottish School, p. 621 (a); Keyword Reid Thomas, p. 578f. (b); P. 612 (c).
- ↑ Hans-Georg Gadamer : Truth and Method. Basic features of a philosophical hermeneutics. Collected Works, Hermeneutics I, Volume I. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 1990, ISBN 3-16-145616-5 , pp. 30f.
- ↑ Jens Hacke: Philosophy of Bourgeoisie. P. 234, fn. 257.