Preface.

An encyclopedic presentation of philosophy is a very general need; not, to be sure, for youths to whom lectures for an introduction to the science are open, but all the more so for men who do not wish to begin their schooling from the very beginning, yet who also do not wish to lose sight of philosophy. Whether, however, a strictly formed encyclopedia, especially if it only contains an abbreviated exposition of the system, sufficiently meets the need? That may be doubted. Much can be argued about artificial forms; to practically educated men, they pass for system-fetters; and a portion of the attention is thereby withdrawn from the objects themselves. One will therefore not be very surprised if an encyclopedia appears here that proceeds from the subject matter, progresses only gradually to form, relies on earlier systematic writings, and intends to correspond as much as possible to practical interest.