Abstract

Philosophy: Speculation or Science?

In the usual conception, philosophy is the construction of a system. A philosophical system is a vast aggregate of ideas covering alt domains of the physical and intellectual universe: it comprises a theory of knowledge, an interpretation of the fundamentals of science, an account of the structure of the cosmos, and, on the other hand, a set of directives. Looking with the eyes of the unprejudiced spectator, one sees immediately that a philosophy of this kind is a strange mixture of two different objectives. One is of a cognitive nature, directed toward art understanding of matters of fact; the other is of a volitional nature and intended to supply a control of the emotional attitudes of man, including both his individual and his social behavior.