Franz Brentano
modernAustrian Realism / Descriptive Psychology1838 – 1917
Franz Brentano was a 19th-century Austrian-German philosopher and former Catholic priest best known for reviving the concept of intentionality as the defining mark of the mental. His descriptive psychology laid the groundwork for phenomenology and influenced Husserl, Meinong, and the early analytic tradition.
Notable Achievements
1
Revived and reformulated the doctrine of intentionality in Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint (1874)
2
Founded the School of Brentano, influencing Husserl, Meinong, Twardowski, and Stumpf
3
Developed a descriptive psychology distinguishing mental from physical phenomena
4
Advanced a reistic ontology in his later work, rejecting abstract entities
5
Contributed foundational ideas to the theory of judgment and value