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The Relation Between Psychology and the Other Parts of Metaphysics: Ontology, Cosmology, and Theology

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The Force of an Idea

Part of the book series: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science ((AUST,volume 50))

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Abstract

Psychology, be it empirical or rational, forms part of metaphysics. Ontology, cosmology, and theology are the other parts of metaphysics, according to Wolff. First, I show that deductive order matters a great deal in Wolff’s system, and, therefore, that psychology has to take the right place in this order. The second part of this chapter analyzes Wolff’s first metaphysical insights, while the third considers the German works, particularly in logics and metaphysics. Stress will be laid on the order in which metaphysical disciplines appear. The fourth part looks in more detail at the links between psychology, ontology, cosmology, and theology as they appear in the Latin works. The fifth and final part uses a case study on pleasure to show how separate disciplinary considerations can conspire: pleasure does not just belong to psychology also but includes ontological, cosmological, and theological features. A joint examination is required in order to understand it more completely.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Lille, Lille, France

    Jean-François Goubet

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  1. Jean-François Goubet
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Correspondence to Jean-François Goubet .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Saulo de Freitas Araujo

  2. Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Thiago Constâncio Ribeiro Pereira

  3. Department of Philosophy, ICREA & Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain

    Thomas Sturm

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Goubet, JF. (2021). The Relation Between Psychology and the Other Parts of Metaphysics: Ontology, Cosmology, and Theology. In: Araujo, S.d.F., Pereira, T.C.R., Sturm, T. (eds) The Force of an Idea. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol 50. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74435-9_11

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