Joachim Jung's Philosophia protonoetica. To the problem of establishing methodological principles of Modern philosophy

Abstract

The article discusses the programme of reforming the sciences and the way of philosophising proposed by Joachim Jung. Jung's positive endeavour was preceded by his critical work, which evokes to purify knowledge from preconceived ideas (doxa) and unreasonable premises. This thesis is directed against the scholastic «Doctrina Praedicamentorum». Jung rejects the claim of metaphysics and traditional logic as the foundation of the sciences. An important point of criticism is the distinction between reflexive (reflexiva) and direct (directa) sciences. Jung's positive methodological programme is based on mathematics, since it allows us to reach the last, indivisible elements. On their basis, it is possible to build a system of scientific knowledge that is as reliable and accurate as arithmetic. But the principles of the latter need to be substantiated. Thus, Jung comes to a new type of philosophy, «protonoethica». The article describes the German philosopher's methodological concept as «conceptual atomism». According to the author, Joachim Jung's achievements include the introduction of the concept of universal science (scientia universalis) into the early modern lexicon and the formation of those methodological principles that are later revealed by Descartes and Leibniz.