Immanent Realism

In many respects, Brentano conducted pioneering analyses of problems that are currently in the focus of cognitive science and artificial intelligence: from the problem of reference to that of representation, from the problem of categorial classification to ontology and the cognitive analysis of natural language.

Brentano, in fact, dealt with and wrote on questions concerning the auditory stream (temporal apprehension), visual perception (continua, point of view, three-dimensional construction of phenomenal objects), intentionality, imagery, and conceptual space, considering these pertaining to a metaphysical enquiry. Moreover, Brentano displayed clear awareness of the complexity of problems and of the interrelations among different areas of inquiry. From this point of view, his theory, however complex, offers elements for the treatment of problems currently under investigation.

Brentano's work is an antidote against physicalism and logicism, which dominated the 20thcentury epistemology, and as such appears to be a good philosophy candidate for cognitive science."A set of knotty questions are implied in the very title of Brentano's work "Psychology from an empirical standpoint". To solve them, Albertazzi guides us systematically through Brentano's life and works, investigating into the inherent complexity of both his view of mental life and the related methodology. In so doing, she discloses a number of threads into the open texture of modern philosophy of mind."

Lia Formigari, Ordinary professor of Philosophy of Language, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

The only monograph on Brentano to cover almost all aspects of his scientific production The first book on Brentano to take into account the scientific roots of his thought and its relation to psychophysics, and to analyse his thought in relation to cognitive science Offers a philosophical framework, particularly with regard to perception, for people working in cognitive science

Contenu
A life, a novel.- Brentano and Aristotle.- Psychology from an empirical standpoint.- Metaphysics and the science of the soul.- A woodworm in the intentional relation.- Ficciones.- Continua.- Reverse Aristotelianism: The metaphysics of accidents.- Other writings: Ethics, aesthetics and history of philosophy.- A history of Brentano criticism.- A wager on the future.