Brentano's Mature Theory of Intentionality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v4i2.2428Abstract
The notion of intentionality is what Franz Brentano is best known for. But disagreements and misunderstandings still surround his account of its nature. In this paper, I argue that Brentano's mature account of the nature of intentionality construes it, not as a two-place relation between a subject and an object, nor as a three-place relation between a subject's act, its object, and a 'content,' but as an altogether non-relational, intrinsic property of subjects. I will argue that the view is more defensible than might initially appear.
References
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Brandl, J., 2005. ‘The Immanence Theory of Intentionality.’ In Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind, edited by D.W. Smith and A.L. Thomasson, pp. 167–182. Oxford: Clarendon.
Brentano, F.C., 1874.Psychologie von empirischen Standpunkt, edited by O. Kraus. Leipzig: Felix Meiner. English translation Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint, translated by A.C. Rancurello, D.B. Terrell, and L.L. McAlister. London: Routledge, 1973.
------, 1911. ‘Klassifikation der psychischen Phänomene, Anhang.’ English translation ‘Appendix to the Classification of Mental Phenomena’, in Brentano (1874), pp. 211–42.
------, 1930. Wahrheit und Evidenz, edited by O. Kraus. Leipzig: Felix Meiner.English translation The True and the Evident, translated by R.M. Chisholm, I. Politzer, and K. Fischer. London: Routledge, 1966.
------, 1933. Kategorienlehre, edited by A. Kastil. Leipzig: Felix Meiner. English translation The Theory of Categories, translated by R.M. Chisholm and N. Guterman. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1981.
-------, 1982. Deskriptive Psychologie, edited by R.M. Chisholm and W. Baumgartner. Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag. English translation Descriptive Psychology, translated by B. Müller. London: Routledge, 1995.
Chrudzimski, A., 2001.Intentionalitätstheorie beim frühen Brentano. Dordrecht: Springer.
Chrudzimski, A. and B. Smith, 2004.‘Brentano’s Ontology: From Conceptualism to Reism.’ In The Cambridge Companion to Brentano, edited by D. Jacquette, pp. 197–219. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Crane, T., 2006. ‘Brentano’s Concept of Intentional Inexistence.’ In The Austrian Contribution to Analytic Philosophy, edited by M. Textor, pp. 20–35. London: Routledge.
Fodor, J.A., 1975. The Language of Thought. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Ierna, C., 2015.‘A Letter from Edmund Husserl to Franz Brentano from 29 XII 1889.’ Husserl Studies 31: 65–72.
Jackson, F.C., 1977. Perception: A Representative Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kriegel, U., 2011. The Sources of Intentionality. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
------, 2015. ‘Thought and Thing: Brentano’s Reism as Truthmaker Nominalism.’ Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 91: 153–180.
-------, 2017. ‘Brentano’s Mereology.’ In The Routledge Handbook of Brentano and the Brentano School, edited by U. Kriegel. Oxford and New York: Routledge.
Kroon, F., 2013.‘Phenomenal Intentionality and the Role of Intentional Objects.’ In Phenomenal Intentionality, edited by U. Kriegel, pp. 137–55. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
Meinong, A., 1904.‘On the Theory of Objects.’Reprinted in Realism and the Background of Phenomenology, edited by R. Chisholm, pp. 76–117. Glencoe: Free Press, 1960.
Moran, D., 1996. ‘Brentano’s Thesis.’ Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 70: 1–27.
Russell, B., 1905. ‘On Denoting.’ Mind 14: 479–93.
Searle, J.R., 1983. Intentionality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Smith, B., 1994. Austrian Philosophy: The Legacy of Franz Brentano. LaSalle: Open Court.
Strawson, P.F., 1950. ‘On Referring.’ Mind 59: 320–44.
Twardowski, K., 1894. On the Content and Object of Presentations, translated by R. Grossmann. The Hague: M. Nijhoff, 1977.
Williams, D.C., 1953. ‘The Elements of Being: I.’ Review of Metaphysics 7: 3–18.
Brandl, J., 2005. ‘The Immanence Theory of Intentionality.’ In Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind, edited by D.W. Smith and A.L. Thomasson, pp. 167–182. Oxford: Clarendon.
Brentano, F.C., 1874.Psychologie von empirischen Standpunkt, edited by O. Kraus. Leipzig: Felix Meiner. English translation Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint, translated by A.C. Rancurello, D.B. Terrell, and L.L. McAlister. London: Routledge, 1973.
------, 1911. ‘Klassifikation der psychischen Phänomene, Anhang.’ English translation ‘Appendix to the Classification of Mental Phenomena’, in Brentano (1874), pp. 211–42.
------, 1930. Wahrheit und Evidenz, edited by O. Kraus. Leipzig: Felix Meiner.English translation The True and the Evident, translated by R.M. Chisholm, I. Politzer, and K. Fischer. London: Routledge, 1966.
------, 1933. Kategorienlehre, edited by A. Kastil. Leipzig: Felix Meiner. English translation The Theory of Categories, translated by R.M. Chisholm and N. Guterman. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1981.
-------, 1982. Deskriptive Psychologie, edited by R.M. Chisholm and W. Baumgartner. Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag. English translation Descriptive Psychology, translated by B. Müller. London: Routledge, 1995.
Chrudzimski, A., 2001.Intentionalitätstheorie beim frühen Brentano. Dordrecht: Springer.
Chrudzimski, A. and B. Smith, 2004.‘Brentano’s Ontology: From Conceptualism to Reism.’ In The Cambridge Companion to Brentano, edited by D. Jacquette, pp. 197–219. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Crane, T., 2006. ‘Brentano’s Concept of Intentional Inexistence.’ In The Austrian Contribution to Analytic Philosophy, edited by M. Textor, pp. 20–35. London: Routledge.
Fodor, J.A., 1975. The Language of Thought. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Ierna, C., 2015.‘A Letter from Edmund Husserl to Franz Brentano from 29 XII 1889.’ Husserl Studies 31: 65–72.
Jackson, F.C., 1977. Perception: A Representative Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kriegel, U., 2011. The Sources of Intentionality. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
------, 2015. ‘Thought and Thing: Brentano’s Reism as Truthmaker Nominalism.’ Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 91: 153–180.
-------, 2017. ‘Brentano’s Mereology.’ In The Routledge Handbook of Brentano and the Brentano School, edited by U. Kriegel. Oxford and New York: Routledge.
Kroon, F., 2013.‘Phenomenal Intentionality and the Role of Intentional Objects.’ In Phenomenal Intentionality, edited by U. Kriegel, pp. 137–55. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
Meinong, A., 1904.‘On the Theory of Objects.’Reprinted in Realism and the Background of Phenomenology, edited by R. Chisholm, pp. 76–117. Glencoe: Free Press, 1960.
Moran, D., 1996. ‘Brentano’s Thesis.’ Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 70: 1–27.
Russell, B., 1905. ‘On Denoting.’ Mind 14: 479–93.
Searle, J.R., 1983. Intentionality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Smith, B., 1994. Austrian Philosophy: The Legacy of Franz Brentano. LaSalle: Open Court.
Strawson, P.F., 1950. ‘On Referring.’ Mind 59: 320–44.
Twardowski, K., 1894. On the Content and Object of Presentations, translated by R. Grossmann. The Hague: M. Nijhoff, 1977.
Williams, D.C., 1953. ‘The Elements of Being: I.’ Review of Metaphysics 7: 3–18.
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