Intentionality massachusetts institute of technology. Franz clemens brentano 18381917 is mainly known for his work in philosophy of psychology, especially for having introduced the notion of intentionality to contemporary philosophy. Indeed, husserl calls intentionality the fundamental property of consciousness and the principle theme of phenomenology. Brentano, a pupil of adolf trendelenburg, one of the few aristotelians in the 19th century in germany, created a philosophical system which was a synthesis of aristotelianism, cartesianism, and the empiricism of the. Franz brentano 18381917 carried out relevant analyses and distinctions between them. Empiricist and rationalist philosophers were of course concerned with the nature of thought and how it relates to its objects, but their discussions were not cast in the terminology of intentionality. Brentano also includes the moment of counterblow, or the fringe contribution of previous cognitive work, used as a filter when considering sensory phenomena. This book sheds new light on the history of the philosophically crucial notion of intentionality, which accounts for one of the most distinctive aspects of our mental life.
Brentanos biography born in marienberg, germany on january 16, 1838, franz brentano is a philosopher best known for his doctrine of intentionality, influencing students such as sigmund freud, alexius meinong and carl stumpf. But brentanos own claims about intentional inexistence are much misunderstood. This essay is a critical examination of how edmund husserl, in his appropriation of franz brentanos concept of intentionality into his phenomenology, deals with the very. It shows that brentano and the aristotelian authors from which he drew not only. Inten tionality derives from the latin verb intendere, which means to point to or to aim at. An active participant in the catholic revival of the nineteenth century, brentano contributed to the. Intentionality and intentional content edmund husserl 18591938 was an influential thinker of the first half of the twentieth century. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive. It was his work that set husserl on to the road of phenomenology and intentionality, that inspired meinongs theory of the object which influenced bertrand russell, and the entire polish school of philosophy. His influence was felt by luminaries such as edmund husserl and alexius meinong who followed and later adapted.
Franz brentano 18381917 was a leading philosopher and psychologist of the nineteenth century. The idea fell out of discussion with the end of the medieval scholastic period, but in recent times was resurrected by franz brentano and later adopted by edmund husserl. Focusing on franz brentano, who introduced the notion into contemporary philosophy, and on the. His philosophy was heavily influenced by the works of franz brentano and bernard bolzano, and was also influenced in various ways by interaction with contemporaries such as alexius meinong. Franz clemens brentano 18381917, austrian philosopher. It is striking, though, just how little there is in brentanos main work, the psychology from an. Theory of intentionality by ronald mcintyre and david woodruff smith 1. The school of franz brentano 52 1995, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. The terminology was revived in 1874 by franz brentano, in his psychology from an empirical standpoint. Intentionality for the cambridge encyclopedia of the. And it is generally well known and accepted that it was franz brentano who is initially. The brentano school stood against the idealistic and p. Franz clemens brentano quotes quotes of franz clemens.
This article explores franz brentano s opposition to papal infallibility, and sets this in the context of his development as a catholic scholar. But brentano s own claims about intentional inexistence are much misunderstood. Brentano, who rejuvenated discussions of intentionality found in medieval philosophers like thomas aquinas, john duns scotus, and william of ockham. Nb presentation means what we might mean by conscious. A new objection to the nonsense that was dreamt up and attributed to him brentano s thesis of intentionality has been traditionally interpreted as a theory of the intentional relation, i. What kept him from writing about abstract objects even when his reintroduction of the aristotelian notion of intentionality, included in his robust psychologi. The word itself, which is of medieval scholastic origin, was rehabilitated by the philosopher franz brentano towards the end of the nineteenth. Contributions to the franz brentanos conference wurzburg, 2730 april 1988. Husserls interest in intentionality was inspired by his teacher, franz brentano, who himself picked up the term intentional from its use in medieval. The word itself, which is of medieval scholastic origin, was rehabilitated by the philosopher franz brentano. Intentionality of phenomenology in brentano request pdf.
Scholars have debated whether brentano changed his view on. Focusing on franz brentano, who introduced the notion into contemporary philosophy, and on the aristotelian tradition, which was brentanos main source of inspiration, the book reveals a rich history of debate on precisely the relational nature of intentionality. Ryan hickerson franz brentano 18381917 is almost unique as a forefather of both analytic and continental philosophy. Inspired by aristotle, franz brentano revived the concept of intentional ity in order to uniquely characterize the domain of mental phenomena studied by psychology. The metamorphosis 1915 is a story of an ordinary man, gregor samsa, who wakes up one morning as an ungeheures ungeziefer or. Brentano was born at marienberg am rhein, near boppard. Franz brentano, psychology from an empirical standpoint 1874 p. Collection i acknowledgements this dissertation is the fulfillment of a dream i hade long time ago, which gradually developed into a lifechanging experience. This essay is a critical examination of how edmund husserl, in his appropriation of franz brentano s concept of intentionality into his phenomenology, deals with the very. Franz brentano predecessor of phenomenology and founder. Intentionality is often described as a certain kind of relation. Franz brentano encylopedia of philosophy, macmillan, 1967, vol. Franz brentano is a psychologist many have never heard of, but one who had farreaching influence. Franz brentano s attempt to distinguish mental from physical phenomena by employing the scholastic concept of intentional inexistence is often cited as reintroducing the concept of intentionality into mainstream philosophical discussion.
Franz kafkas story the metamorphosis in the light of the. Brentano characterized intentionality as the minds directedness at objects. Franz brentano is one of the founding fathers of twentieth century philosophy, celebrated for introducing the concept of intentionality to philosophy as well as making significant contributions to ethics and logic. Franz brentanos philosophy of mind still means, as far as most philoso phers are. Recall brentanos doctrine of the intentional inexistence of the object of. Franz brentano chrudzimski and smith, this interpretation, however, does not pay due attention to the fact that according to brentano, inner perception is not a selfstanding mental phenomenon of a higher level, but rather a structural moment of every mental phenomenon. It gave rise to brentwno phenomenology, but it also lies at the root of much of the thinking of analytic philosophers on meaning and reference and on the relations of language and mind. In spite of brentanos considerable influence on husserls logical investigations, their analysis of intentionality is significantly different regarding some fundamental points, such as the status of reality, the nature of intentional acts, and their relation to the world. Brentano here says that every mental phenomenon exhibits intentional inexistence intentionality, and gives the examples of how in judgement something is affirmed or denied, in love something is loved etc. His work exerted great influence on major philosophers such as edmund husserl, but also philosophers travelling in the opposite direction, such gottlob frege. For a general brfntano of the role of brentano in the emergence of the nonorthodox theory of intentional objects in austrian philosophy, see smith, crowe philosophical studies in fact, brentano held that intentionality is the hallmark of the mental.
For brentano, intentionality not only distinguishes mental from physical. Franz brentano along with his students, especially edmund husserl is widely credited with bringing intentionality to philosophers attention. Franz brentano taught that consciousness intends the object, and gives meaningful content to consciousness itself. Brentano introduces the notion of intentionality in psychology from an empirical standpoint, and claims that it is the mark of the mental in the sense that all and only mental phenomena are intentional. Intentionality intentionality is a central concept in philosophy of mind and in husserls phenom enology. Intentionality is a philosophical concept defined as the power of minds to be about, to represent, or to stand for, things, properties and states of affairs. I will then briefly explain how brentanos ideas about intentionality evolved after the first publication of this work in 1874, and how they were then misinterpreted by some influential analytic philosophers. Franz brentanos attempt to distinguish mental from physical phenomena by employing the scholastic concept of intentional inexistence is often cited as re. Brentanos mature theory of intentionality philarchive. Every mental phenomenon is characterized by what the.
Brentano taught both freud and husserl and husserl, who was the first phenomenologist, noted that consciousness never exists in a vacuum but is always directed toward something. Focusing on franz brentano, who introduced the notion into contemporary philosophy, and on the aristotelian tradition, which was brentano s main source of inspiration, the book reveals a rich history of debate on precisely the relational nature of intentionality. For a brief history of the terminology, and further references, see crane 1998a. Franz brentanos attempt to distinguish mental from physical phenomena by employing the scholastic concept of intentional inexistence is often cited as reintroducing the concept of intentionality into mainstream philosophical discussion.
Brentanos central text, psychology from an empirical standpoint brentano 1995a. Husserl, the founder of phenomenology, appropriated the notion from his teacher franz. This medieval terminology was reintroduced by the austrian philosopher franz brentano in his 1874 book psychology from an empirical standpoint 1995, although brentano himself did not use the word intentionality. This lesson discusses franz brentano and his influence on. Meiner, 1982, published in philosophy and phenomenological research 45 1985, 62744. Brentano and husserl on intentionality and reality pierre. Intentionality stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Brentanos thesis mural maynooth university research archive. Franz brentano 18381917 is a key figure in the development of twentieth century thought. The standards of rigour and descriptive adequacy of scholasticism were reestablished above all by franz brentano and his school. His claim to fame is the reintroduction of intentionality the aboutness of consciousness. Franz brentano on the ontology of mind kevin mulligan and barry. Intentionality mit massachusetts institute of technology.
Husserls interest in intentionality was inspired by his teacher, franz brentano, who himself picked up the term intentional from its use in medieval philosophy. Mar, 2020 franz brentano, german philosopher generally regarded as the founder of act psychology, or intentionalism, which concerns itself with the acts of the mind rather than with the contents of the mind. Franz kafkas story the metamorphosis in the light of the theory of intentional object in franz brentano and anton marty sonia kaminska abstract how does it feel to be a worm. Brentanos doctrine of intentionality, and brentanos account of ethical judgment. On their view, the intentional idiom fails to describe or explain any real phenomenon. Franz brentano descriptive psychology and intentionality edmund husserl the founder of phenomenology prephenomenological beginnings husserls. Barclay and mcgrath tell how freud as an undergraduate was deeply impressed by attending brentano. Brentano s psychology from an empirical standpoint is primarily, although not exclusively, an epistemological treatise. In early treatment by the brentano school, intentionality is at least nominally understood as executed, brought about, or achieved in mental acts. Husserl later wrote that without brentano s doctrine of intentionality, phenomenology could not have come into being at all. In a series of articles, dale jacquette has offered the following picture of twardowskis contribution to brentanos theory of intentionality. Today, intentionality is a live concern among philosophers of. Indeed, the impact of his scholarship was so great that he became synonymous with a school of thought and a new approach in scientific philosophy. Perceptual states or desires, for example, are directed at certain objects that are perceived or desired.
Psychology from an empirical stanpoint is brentano s bestknown book, 4 and much has been written about its intentionality passage, quoted above. Pdf on feb 15, 2018, joel krueger and others published. The philosopher barry smith writes that brentano s thesis about intentionality has proved to be one of the most influential in all of contemporary philosophy. Descriptive psychology presents a series of lectures given by brentano. May 31, 2019 for a general brfntano of the role of brentano in the emergence of the nonorthodox theory of intentional objects in austrian philosophy, see smith, crowe philosophical studies in fact, brentano held that intentionality is the hallmark of the mental. Husserls critique of brentanos doctrine of inner perception and its. Intentionality routledge encyclopedia of philosophy. Brentanos concept of intentional inexistence tim crane university. Franz brentano 1st edition mauro antonelli federico. The notion of intentionality is what franz brentano is best known for. Franz brentano article about franz brentano by the free.
This term is unfortunate, however, because intentionality in this sense has nothing specially to do with deliberate action, as in he did it intentionally. His reintroduction of intentionality and the high quality of its students make him one the most influential. Franz brentanos descriptive psychology and his actuality. Brentano was ordained a roman catholic priest 1864.
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