Abstract

The purely philosophical writings of Franz Brentano are not too well known outside of continental Europe, except perhaps through references in the works of his pupil, Husserl. The Theory of Categories is the first English translation of the Kategorienlehre, originally published in 1933. The book, which is a compilation of essays and notes made by Brentano between 1907 and 1917, contains the bulk of Brentano's formulations of his metaphysical theory. Brentano does not, however, present an entirely articulated metaphysical outlook; he rather shows himself to be struggling towards one. The partner and also opponent in this struggle is Aristotle, and more specifically, Aristotle's theory of categories.