Vernunftlehre

Johann Michael Sailer’s ‘Vernunftlehre’ (Doctrine of Reason) sought not to offer an abstract theory of knowledge but a practical guide to the proper use of reason in the broadest sense, to the practice of thought from a Christian perspective. Sailer’s ultimate aim is not purely philosophical but religious. He wants to clear away the obstacles which stand in the way of understanding the truth, which for him is identical with the Christian religion. These obstacles are prejudices and passions. The similarities between Christian Wolff’s ‘Deutscher Logik’ (Ges. Werke, Abt. 1, Bd. 1) and Sailer’s ‘Vernunftlehre’ show that Sailer wanted his work to be seen as a counterpart to Wolff’s ‘Deutscher Logik’. But this should not mislead us over the very different intentions and contents of Wolff’s and Sailer’s work.