Hegel’s concern for determinism induced some scholars to interpret his practical philosophy as a form of determinism or as a form of compatibilism. Against both interpretations I will show some historical features of determinism at the edge of XVIII Century aiming to explain Hegel’s concept of determinism. I will pay a special attention to the debate between Ulrich and Kant’s criticism as well as to the peculiar development of kantian presuppositions in Fries’ philosophy. I will illustrate how this debate influenced (...) Hegel’s definition of arbitrariness (Willkür) and how important it could be to understand his distinction between freedom of choice and free will. (shrink)

This essay aims at an analysis of Stumpf’s doctrine of categories. In Erkenntnislehre Stumpf argues that all categories empirically stem from outer and inner perception. Although Stumpf champions an empiricist explanation of the matter, he firmly rejects associationism. In his conception of the origin of categories, including substance, Stumpf builds on the assumption that human perception behaves dynamically. Sensory experience consists indeed essentially of perceptual wholes. The analysis of Stumpf’s theses is of great importance for our thorough understanding of his (...) philosophy. His theory regarding this crucial philosophical topic diverges considerably from Brentano’s. (shrink)