Paul Volkmann. Epistemological Foundations of the Natural Sciences
(Sciences and Hypothesis, IX).
Second Edition. Leipzig, 1910

Note on Paul Volkmann’s book “Erkenntnistheoretische Grundzüge der Naturwissenschaften” ( Wissenschaft und Hypothese .
IX) 2. Auflage, Leipzig, 1910 [Paul Volkmann, Epistemological Foundations of the Natural Sciences (Science and Hypothesis. IX), 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1910]
is contained in a notebook following the comments on Genov’s dissertation.

PAUL VOLKMANN.
EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES

(“SCIENCES AND HYPOTHESIS,” IX) SECOND EDITION, LEIPZIG, 1910 (Nat. IV. 171 in Bern library)

The author is an eclectic and vulgariser in philosophy, especially
when speaking against Haeckel, about Buckle, etc., etc. Nevertheless, the tendency is materialist, e.g., p. 35 [1] —“The
question whether we dictate concepts to nature, or nature to
us” is, he says, a combination of both points of view. Mach , he says, is right (p. 38), but I
counterpose to it (Mach’s point of view) the “objective” point of view:

“Thus I hold that logic in us has its origin in the uniform
course of things outside us, that the external necessity of natural
events is our first and most real schoolmis tress” (p. 39).

He rebels against phenomenology and modern monism,—but completely fails to understand the essence of materialist
and idealist philosophy. In fact, he reduces the matter to
“methods” of natural science in a general positivist sense. He is not even capable of raising the question of the
objective reality of nature outside the consciousness (and
sensations) of mankind.

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Notes:
[1] Volkmann, P., Erkenntnistheoretische Grundzüge der Naturwissenschaften , Leipzig-Berlin, 1910.— Ed .