Baumgarten's Elements of First Practical Philosophy

Alexander Baumgarten (1714 - 1762) was among the first to teach the controversial philosophy of Christian Wolff (1769-1764). By order of the king, he moved to Frankfurt on the Order in 1739, where he remained until his death in 1762. His most influential philosophical works are Metaphysics (1739), Philosophical Ethics (1740), and Aesthetics (2 Vols, 1750 & 1757). It is as formulated in these works that the Leibniz-Wolff tradition was chiefly communicated to later German philosophers, including Immanuel Kant. Today Baumgarten is also regarded as a central founder of modern aesthetics.John Hymers is Associate Professor of Philosophy at La Salle University, USA.Courtney D. Fugate is Associate Professor at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

By providing a translation of Alexander Baumgarten`s Elements of First Practical Philosophy, together with the translation of the complete set of marginal notes or “jottings” concerning that work, which are contained in Kant`s Nachlass, Fugate and Hymers have rendered an invaluable service to Anglophone students of Kant`s moral philosophy. Their importance stems from the fact Kant used this work as one of the textbooks for his lectures on ethics, which he delivered with regularity throughout his academic career. Moreover, these lectures, together with the notes, constitute the main sources for understanding the development of his moral philosophy.

• Introduction A Note on the TranslationA Brief Bibliography and Guide for Further ReadingIntroduction to First Practical Philosophy with Kant’s ElucidationsKant’s Notes to Baumgarten’s IntroductionEnglish-German-Latin GlossaryName and Subject Indices