(Wolff’s Cosmology.) A

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GENERAL COSMOLOGY

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

§. 1.

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General cosmology is the science of the world, or the cosmology of the universe in general, insofar as it is a composite ens compositum and modifiable being ens modificabile.

definition.

We gave this definition of General Cosmology Cosmologia generalis in the Preliminary Discourse prefixed to the Logic (§. 78.) Wolff refers to his 1728 work, Discursus praeliminaris de philosophia in genere, which served as the introduction to his Latin philosophical system.. We also advised in that same place that this name is generally unknown to the public, even if certain principles pertaining to it are not ignored. For this reason, I am also accustomed to call it transcendental transcendentalis In the pre-Kantian sense, "transcendental" refers to the most general or abstract categories that apply to all things within a specific genus—in this case, the world as a whole., because nothing is demonstrated here concerning the world except those things which belong to it as a composite and modifiable being. Consequently, it stands in the same relation to Physics Physica as Ontology Ontologia (or "First Philosophy") stands to the whole of philosophy. I also provided the reason in that same place why I collected these general and abstract notions concerning the world into a system and founded a new discipline, hitherto unknown: namely, on account of its multifaceted use in Psychology... The text cuts off mid-word ("Psychologia"); Wolff is likely referring to the way his cosmological principles regarding the interaction of composite beings provide the foundation for understanding the soul's interaction with the body.