Richard Burthogge
Richard Burthogge (* 1637/1638, † 1705) was an English physician, justice of the peace and philosopher.
Life
Richard Burthogge, son of an infantry captain of the garrison Plymouth was baptized in Plympton on January 30, 1637 ( Julian calendar, in 1638 according to the Gregorian calendar) in the church of St Maurice. His exact date of birth is not known. He first visited the Exeter Grammar School and was admitted in 1654 at All Souls College, Oxford. Later he moved to the Lincoln College ( Oxford), where in 1658 he received his BA made. In October 1661, he enrolled at the University of Leiden. Title of his dissertation, which he submitted in February 1662 for obtaining the doctorate in medicine, De lithiasi et calculo was.
Back in England Burthogge settled in Devon. He spent the rest of his life in or at Totnes, Devon, where he worked as a doctor. Known as tolerant of Catholics, and probably even nonconformist, he was appointed justice of the peace under James II, a position he also under William III. ( Orange ) retained.
Burthogge was married at least three times. His first wife Sarah was the daughter of Andrew Trevill, which he in 1670 his treatise The Divine Goodness and in 1678 his Organum Vetus et Novum devoted. In the following years, already during his marriage to Mary Deeble, published Burthogge several other writings on theological issues as well as two other philosophical works, which he dedicated to John Locke: An Essay upon Reason and the Nature of Spirits ( 1694 ) and Of the Soul of the World; and of Particular Souls ( 1699). Mary probably died 1695th Burthogges daughters Sarah, Mary and Ann probably come from these first two marriages. Ann, who died before her father, leaving a minor son, Richard Babbage, ancestor of Charles Babbage. When he died, Burthogge was married to Honour and lived apparently in Bowden in Totnes. He was buried on July 24, 1705 in St. Mary's Church of Totnes.
Philosophy
Burthogge attributable to his work the anti- dogmatic advocates of tolerance concept, including Henry More and John Locke included. He is perhaps the first idealist of modern philosophy. In his Organum he discusses what it means to be rational. According Burthogge are the immediate objects of the understanding " entia cogitationis " or phenomena that are molded together by the senses and reason. Perception and judgment are inextricably linked. The essence of our intellectual faculties due so that we in our terms ( " notions " ) are arrested. Importance and the terms by which the mind perceives its objects, are as little outside itself, such as colors are not outside of the eye. The senses and the intellect grasp ( and retain ) certain mental forms as a mirror image or a glass reflect the vibrations of a wound string. Anyone who tries to understand things in their real nature, can become entangled only in contradictions. The everyday distinguishing between reality and imagination is really just a distinction between terms, because we are not able to compare our notions with reality. Logically represents Burthogge one of the purest coherence theories of truth. Truth is the logical consistency of our ideas with each other, so it is always logical truth ( metaphysical truth is unattainable for us).
Influenced by the Cambridge Platonists represents Burthogge a panpsychistische theory. Spirit and matter are different and can not cause each other. Nevertheless, there is a connection between them. The most convincing explanation is therefore that matter is activated and guided by a spirit world. Souls of humans and animals are parts of the world soul. (Ie the individual humans and animals ) Your assignment to individual parts of matter arises from the harmonious coexistence, the Burthogge in his theory of perception describes the glass -string metaphor.
Works
- Divine Goodness explicated and vindicated from the exceptions of the Atheist (1670 ) ( in the editions of 1671 and 1672 " Tagathon, or Divine Goodness ... " titled)
- Causa Dei, or to Apology for God ( 1675)
- Organum vetus et novum, or Discourse on Reason and Truth ( 1678)
- An argument for Infants ' Baptism (1683 )
- Vindiciae Paedo - baptismi (1685 )
- Prudential Reasons for repealing the Penal Laws against all recusants ( 1687 )
- The Nature of Church -Government ( 1691)
- Essay upon Reason and the Nature of Spirits ( 1694 )
- Of the Soul of the World; and of Particular Souls ( 1699)
- Christianity a Revealed Mystery ( 1702)