History of Modern Philosophy From Nicolas of Cusa to the Present Time — Inside the Classic

A Mediating Tendency in Kant's Early Works

The excerpts devote considerable space to Kant's pre-critical period, highlighting a pattern of compromise and synthesis. In his maiden work on vis viva, Kant argues that when opposing thinkers hold correct but partial views, attention should be directed to an intermediate principle. He proposes that Descartes' law holds for dead forces and Leibniz's for living forces—a solution that drew Lessing's derision. Similarly, in the Nova Dilucidatio and Physical Monadology, Kant attempts a synthesis of Leibniz and Newton, distinguishing ratio essendi from ratio cognoscendi while defending determinism and dynamism. These early efforts prefigure the critical philosophy's later reconciliations.

The Mechanical Cosmogony and Its Limits

Falckenberg notes that Kant's General Natural History and Theory of the Heavens (1755) developed a mechanical origin of the universe using only attraction and repulsion, anticipating Laplace. Yet the text explicitly states that Kant acknowledged the failure of the mechanical theory at two points: the origin of the organic world and the origin of matter. The cosmogony is presented as supporting rather than denying creation, as the orderly universe arises from material forces under law without divine intervention. This nuanced treatment reflects Falckenberg's method of presenting systems without intrusive criticism.

Objective Exposition and the Translator's Role

The translator, A.C. Armstrong, states he followed the original faithfully but not slavishly, making minor changes to suit English-speaking students—altering dates and titles, and adding notes. He refrained from modifying Falckenberg's expositions even where he personally dissented. The preface also notes that the translation incorporates later additions from the author in manuscript. This editorial care underscores the work's aim: a manual that is both scientific and popular, balancing thoroughness with accessibility. The excerpts show Falckenberg's method in action, as when he traces Kant's development through specific writings and influences.

Readers should attend to Falckenberg's deliberate structuring: each philosopher is situated within a historical continuum, with terminology and arguments reproduced closely. The Kant section exemplifies this, showing how early tensions—between rationalism and empiricism, mechanism and teleology—are presented as evolving rather than resolved. The work rewards those who read across sections, noting how Falckenberg's own mediating idealism subtly shapes his selection of evidence.

That afternoon, rain kept me inside with Falckenberg’s History, tracing Kant’s early hesitations — how he groped between dogma and doubt, never quite settling. The book’s patient cataloguing of systems felt oddly comforting, like watching someone build a house slowly. When I closed it, my hand drifted to a volume I’d forgotten: The Religious Sentiment Its Source and Aim: A Contribution to the Science and Philosophy of Religion — A Reader’s Guide, which seemed to take up that same restless searching, but softer, as if asking what philosophy leaves unanswered.