Wolff’s German Texts
1710, Der Anfangs-Gründe aller mathematischen Wissenschafften (Elements of All the Mathematical Sciences), Halle
[GL] 1713, Vernünftige Gedanken von den Kräften des menschlichen Verstandes und ihrem richtigen Gebrauch in der Erkenntnis der Wahrheit (Rational Thoughts on the Powers of the Human Understanding and its Proper Use in the Cognition of Truth), Halle. 14th edition [1754] reprinted with an introduction by Hans Werner Arndt in Christian Wolff, Gesammelte Werke, 1.Abt., Deutsche Schriften, Bd.1. Hildesheim: Olms, 1965.
[GM] 1720a, Vernünftige Gedanken von Gott, der Welt und der Seele des Menschen, auch allen Dingen überhaupt (Rational Thoughts on God, the World and the Soul of Man, and on All Things in General), Halle. 7th edition [1751] reprinted with introduction by Charles A. Corr in Christian Wolff, Gesammelte Werke, 1.Abt., Deutsche Schriften, Bd.3. Hildesheim: Olms, 1983.
1720b, Vernünftige Gedanken von der Menschen Thun und Lassen zur Beförderung ihrer Glückseligkeit (Rational Thoughts on Human Action and Omission with a View to Promoting his Happiness), Halle.
1721, Vernünftige Gedanken von dem gesellschaftlichen Leben der Menschen, und insonderheit dem gemeinen Wesen (Rational Thoughts on the Social Life of the Human Being, and in particular on the Commonwealth), Halle.
1723, Vernünftige Gedanken von den Wirkungen der Natur (Rational Thoughts on the Operations of Nature, Halle.
1724, Vernünftige Gedanken von den Absichten der natürlichen Dingen (Rational Thoughts on the Purposes of Natural Things), Frankfurt and Leipzig.
1725, Vernünftige Gedanken von dem Gebrauche der Theile des menschlichen Leibes, der Thiere und Pflanzen (Rational Thoughts on the Employment of the Parts of the Human Body, Animals, and Plants), Frankfurt.
Wolff’s Latin Texts
1703a, Philosophia practica universalis, methodo mathematica conscripta (On Universal Practical Philosophy, composed according to the Mathematical Method).
1703b, Disquisitio philosophica de loquela, Leipzig.
1709, Aërometriæ elementa, Leipzig.
1713–15, Elementa matheseos universae (Elements of All the Mathematical Sciences), 2 vols. Halle.
1716, Mathematisches Lexicon (Mathematical Lexicon), Leipzig.
1718, Ratio prælectionum Wolfianarum, Halle.
[LL] 1728, Philosophia rationalis sive Logica, methodo scientifica pertractata, et ad usum scientiarum. atque vitae aptata. Praemittitur discursus praeliminaris de philosophia in genere (Rational Philosophy, or Logic), Frankfurt. Includes
[DP] Discursus praeliminaris de philosophia in genere (Preliminary Discourse on Philosophy in General)
[Ont.] 1730, Philosophia prima sive ontologia methodo scientifica pertractata qua omnis cognitionis humanae principia continentur (First Philosophy, or Ontology), Frankfurt.
[Cosm.] 1731, Cosmologia generalis methodo scientifica pertractata, qua ad solidam imprimis Dei atque naturae cognitionem via sternitur (General Cosmology), Frankfurt and Leipzig.
[EP] 1732, Psychologia empirica methodo scientifica pertractata, qua ea quae de anima humana indubia experientiae fide constant, continentur (Empirical Psychology), Frankfurt and Leipzig.
[RP] 1734, Psychologia rationalis methodo scientifica pertractata, qua ea, quae de anima humana indubia experientiae fide innotescunt (Rational Psychology), Frankfurt.
[NT] 1736–7, Theologia naturalis scientifica pertractata (Natural Theology), 2 vols., Frankfurt.
1738–9, Philosophia practica universalis methodo scientifica pertractata, 2 vols. Frankfurt.
1740–1748, Jus naturae methodo scientifica pertractatum, 8 vols., Frankfurt & Leipzig, and Halle.
1749, Jus gentium methodo scientifica pertractatum (The Law of Nations Treated According to a Scientific Method), Halle.
1750–3, Philosophia moralis sive ethica, 5 vols., Halle.
1963, Briefwechsel zwischen Leibniz und Christian Wolff, C. I. Gerhardt (ed.). Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung.
Other Primary Sources
Baumeister, Friedrich Christian, 1747, Elementa Philosophiae Recentioris, Leipzig: Gleditschii.
Crusius, Christian August, 1743, Dissertatio philosophica de usu et limitibus principii rationis determinantis, vulgo sufficientis¸; translated in EMGP.
Kant, Immanuel, 1900–, Kants gesammelte Schriften, edited by Königlichen Preußischen (later Deutschen) Akademie der Wissenschaften (ed.), Berlin: Georg Reimer (later Walter De Gruyter).
–––, 1998, Critique of Pure Reason, P. Guyer and A. Wood (eds. and trans.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Selected Secondary Literature
Anderson, R. Lanier, 2005, “The Wolffian Paradigm and Its Discontent: Kant’s Containment Definition of Analyticity in Historical Context”, Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie, 87(1): 22–74. doi:10.1515/agph.2005.87.1.22
Abstract：The auther defends Kant’s definition of analyticity in terms of concept “containment”, which has engendered widespread scepticism. Kant deployed a clear, technical notion of containment based on ideas standard within traditional logic, notably genus/species hierarchies formed via logical division. Kant’s analytic/synthetic distinction thereby undermines the logico-metaphysical system of Christian Wolff, showing that the Wolffian paradigm lacks the expressive power even to represent essential knowledge, including elementary mathematics, and so cannot provide an adequate system of philosophy. The results clarify the extent to which analyticity sensu Kant can illuminate the problem of a priori knowledge generally.
2016, “The Priority of Judging: Kant on Wolff’s General Logic”, Estudos Kantianos, 4(2): 99–118.
Abstract: In this paper, the author considers the basis for Kant’s praise of Wolff’s general logic as “the best we have.” He argues that Wolff’s logic was highly esteemed by Kant on account of its novel analysis of the three operations of the mind (tres operations mentis), in the course of which Wolff formulates an argument for the priority of the understanding’s activity of judging.
Chance, B. (2018). Wolff’s Empirical Psychology and the Structure of the Transcendental Logic. In C. Dyck & F. Wunderlich (Eds.), Kant and his German Contemporaries (pp. 17-34). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316493229.002
Abstract: This collection of new essays, the first of its kind in English, consider the ways in which the philosophy of Immanuel Kant engages with the views of lesser-known eighteenth-century German thinkers. Each chapter casts new light on aspects of Kant’s complex relationship with these figures, particularly with respect to key aspects of his logic, metaphysics, epistemology, theory of science, and ethics
Reference
Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). Kant and his German contemporaries. Cambridge Core. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/kant-and-his-german-contemporaries/22737264D8D0F0059E993879CD3ED2C0#fndtn-information
Hettche, M., & Dyck, C. (2019, September 30). Christian wolff. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wolff-christian/#Bib
The philosophy E-Print Archive. PhilArchive. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://philarchive.org/