The Theory of Knowledge in Alexius Meinong

The aim of this research project is to investigate a hitherto rather neglected aspect of the thought of the Austrian philosopher Alexius Meinong (1853-1920): his theory of knowledge. Adopting a historico-systematic methodology, the study will attempt to reconstruct Meinong`s epistemological thought through the various phases of his career (from 1882 to c. 1920). The work will fall into two parts: the first will focus on the author`s published works, while the second will analyse the Nachlaß writings, in particular the notes for his lectures on the theory of knowledge delivered between 1895-96 and 1917-18 at the University of Graz. The main purpose is to evaluate the consistency and adequacy of the theoretical doctrine proposed by Meinong, which aimed to guarantee an intermediate sphere of validity for knowledge between absolute certainty (which belongs to a priori knowledge alone) and absolute scepticism (as the negation of the possibility of any knowledge). This will require, firstly, an analysis of the relation between the theory of knowledge and ontology (the doctrine known as the "theory of objects", for which Meinong is still renowned); and secondly, an examination of the historical and cultural environment in which Meinong developed his theory of knowledge. In particular it will be necessary to reconstruct the debate on epistemological problems, such as evidence, perception, memory, induction and causality, which Meinong maintened with his contemporaries (including his former teacher Franz Brentano, Ernst Mach, Edmund Husserl and Nicolai Hartmann). Upon completion of the project, a selection of unpublished writings on the theory of knowledge will be submitted for publication, thus focusing attention on Meinong`s teaching as one of the key moments in the rejection of 19th century psychologism.