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The Universal Form of the Singular: The Early Philosophy of Ernst Cassirer (1898â1917)
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This book examines the philosophical foundations on which Ernst Cassirer bases the central themes of his thought, namely function and the symbolic, establishing as the core inquiry the way in which knowledge of the singular is made possible. Through an exploration of works published between 1898 and 1917, it is argued that knowledge is constituted as a relationship between unity and a general form that enables the designation of a phenomenon as an object of knowledge. The justification that the universal is the foundation of the singular can be achieved through Cassirerâs philosophy, while also providing a fundamental reason for studying his early philosophical period.
Gustavo Esparza, Ph.D. (2015), Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, México. His research focuses on the thought and impact of Ernst Cassirer. He has co-authored the books: Mito, conocimiento y acción. Continuidad y cambio en los procesos culturales (2017); The Bounds of Myth. The Logical Path from Action to Knowledge (2021) and Ernst Cassirer. La unidad simbólica de la cultura (2024). He is also the author of more than 20 articles on the subject of Cassirer, a member of the S.N.I.I., level I, and a professor in the UP system, level C.
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 The Unity of the Material and Spiritual World
â1 Unity and Multiplicity: towards a Definition of Philosophical Tasks
ââ1.1 The CassirerâMarc-Wogau Debate: Unity and Form of the Symbol
ââ1.2 Reception and New Objections to the CassirerâMarc-Wogau Debate
â2 Location and Grouping of the Singular: Geometric Invariants
â3 The Universal Perception of the Singular: Methodological Dilemmas
2 René Descartes: the Glimpse of Function as a Methodological Unit of Knowledge
â1 The Geometrical Unity of Substances in the Natural Sciences
â2 Methodological Gap and Continuity between the Natural and Human Sciences
â3 The Delimitation of Infinity and the Problem of Fundamentals
3 Gottfried Leibniz: Law and Form as the Foundations of the Symbol
â1 The Unity of the Multiple: Law and Number
â2 Representation as Harmony of the Diverse
4 Logic of Invariant Relations
â1 The a Priori Foundation of Knowledge
â2 Theories of Invariant Forms: Logical Elements
ââ2.1 Meaning and Intent of Relational Concepts
ââ2.2 Form and Structure of Knowledge: Number and Space
ââ2.3 Ideal Construction of Scientific Concepts
5 Psychology of Invariant Relations
â1 Science as a Psychological Model of Knowledge
â2 Psychology of Invariant Relations
6 The Universal Form of the Singular: towards the Philosophy of Symbolic Forms
â1 The Diversity of Unity: Form and Freedom
â2 Philosophy of Symbolic: an Early Draft of a Major Project
Conclusion: The Universal Function of the Singular
Bibliography
Index
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 The Unity of the Material and Spiritual World
â1 Unity and Multiplicity: towards a Definition of Philosophical Tasks
ââ1.1 The CassirerâMarc-Wogau Debate: Unity and Form of the Symbol
ââ1.2 Reception and New Objections to the CassirerâMarc-Wogau Debate
â2 Location and Grouping of the Singular: Geometric Invariants
â3 The Universal Perception of the Singular: Methodological Dilemmas
2 René Descartes: the Glimpse of Function as a Methodological Unit of Knowledge
â1 The Geometrical Unity of Substances in the Natural Sciences
â2 Methodological Gap and Continuity between the Natural and Human Sciences
â3 The Delimitation of Infinity and the Problem of Fundamentals
3 Gottfried Leibniz: Law and Form as the Foundations of the Symbol
â1 The Unity of the Multiple: Law and Number
â2 Representation as Harmony of the Diverse
4 Logic of Invariant Relations
â1 The a Priori Foundation of Knowledge
â2 Theories of Invariant Forms: Logical Elements
ââ2.1 Meaning and Intent of Relational Concepts
ââ2.2 Form and Structure of Knowledge: Number and Space
ââ2.3 Ideal Construction of Scientific Concepts
5 Psychology of Invariant Relations
â1 Science as a Psychological Model of Knowledge
â2 Psychology of Invariant Relations
6 The Universal Form of the Singular: towards the Philosophy of Symbolic Forms
â1 The Diversity of Unity: Form and Freedom
â2 Philosophy of Symbolic: an Early Draft of a Major Project
Conclusion: The Universal Function of the Singular
Bibliography
Index
The intended readership includes specialist Cassirerian readers, post-graduate students (philosophy programmes), academic researchers, and students of the arts and humanities.