Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 5.djvu/475

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ENCYCLOPEDIA


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ENCYCLOPEDIA


phy and interrelation of sciences was Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam, in his incomplete " Instauratio Magna ", the second part of which was the " Novum organum" (London, 1620), and his " De dignitate at augmentis scientiarum ' ' ( 1623). His immediate successors, how- ever, who had not mastered their materials, did not rise above the old-fashioned compilation of dry facts suited only for general instruction or as works of refer- ence for scholars, e. g. the " Pera librorura juvenilium" of Wagenseil (Altdorf, 1695), Chevigny's " La science de I'homme de cour d'epee et de robe" (IS vols., Am- sterdam, 1752), and Daniel Morhof's "Polyhistor" (Lubeck, 168S and 1747). A clearer idea of the proper organic construction of an encyclopedic work is first apparent in J. JL Gesner's " Prima; lines isagoges in eruditionem universalem" (3rd ed., Gottingen, 1786), and J. G. Sulzer's " Kurzer Begriff aller Wissenschaf- ten" (Leipzig, 1745; Eisenach, 1778). The way had been prepared, however, by two earlier works, which mark an important advance in the conception of what is proper to an encyclopedia. Both works, but especially the second, exerted a far-reaching influence on the whole intellectual life of the time. These were: Bayle's "Dictionnaire historique et critique" (Rotter- dam, 1696), and " Encyclopedie ou dictionnaire rai- sonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers", compiled by Diderot and d'Alembert (28 vols., Paris, 1751-72, with 7 supplementary vols., 1776-80). While in these works the matter is arranged on an alphabetical sys- tem, a number of Sulzer's imitators essayed a syste- matic presentation of sciences on the old plan, e. g. Adelung, " Kurzer Begriff menschlicher Fertigkeiten vmd Kentnisse" (Leipzig, 1778); Reimarus, "Ency- klopadie" (Hamburg. 1775); Biisch, " Encyk. der mathematischen Wissenschaften" (Hamburg, 1795); Reuss, "Encyclopadie" (Tubingen, 1783); Buhle, " Encyclopadie " (Lemgo, 1790). A successful at^ tempt in this direction, based on Kantian principles, was made bv J. J. Eschenburg in his " Lehrbuch der Wis.senschaftskunde" (Berlin, 1792; 3rd ed., 1808). In competition with this, Krug's introduction of a new methotl in " \'ersuch einer systematisehen Ency- klopiidieder Wissenschaften" (Leipzig, 1796-97; Ziil- lichau, 1804-19) was unsuccessful. Not to mention Habel, Riif, and Strass, the following imitators of Eschenburg gained no little reputation: Heffter, " Philosophische Darstelhmg eines Systems aller Wissenschaften" (Leipzig, 1806); Burdach, "Organ- ism us der menschlichen Wissenschaften und Kunst" (Leipzig, 1809) ; Kraus, " Encyklopiidische Ansichten" (Konigsberg, 1809); and the followers of Kant, E. Schmidt, " Allgemeine Encyklopiidie und Methodo- logie der Wissenschaften" (Jena, 1810), and K. A. Schaller, " Encj'k. und Methodologie" (Magdeburg, 1812). The increa.se in knowledge and the demands for specialization which are noticeable from the be- ginning of the nineteenth century, destroyed even the possibility of presenting completely all the depart- ments of human knowledge or even a single branch of any great extent. The last attempts made in this direction (and they deserve some attention) were Kirchner's "Akademische PropiSdeutik" (Leipzig, 1842) and "Hodegetik" (1852), also Schleiermacher's "Bibliographisches System der gesamten Wissen- schaftskunde " (Brunswick, 1852).

The increasing specialization of sciences has resulted in the production of special encyclopedias, which in the course of time have gradually come to cover every department of science and art and every phase of human life. Thus there have appeared, for instance, Bockh, " Encyk. und Methodologie der philolog. W'Lssenschaften" (2nd ed., Leipzig, 1886); Hommel, "Seraitische Volker und Sprachen" (Leipzig, 1883 — ); Schmitz's work on the modern languages; Korting's works on Engli.sh and Romance philology (Heilbronn. 1884 — ); Grober, "Grundri.ss der roman. Philol." (Strasburg, 1888^); Paul, "Grundriss der german.


Philol." (Strasburg, 1889-93); Elze, "Grundriss der engl. Philol." (Halle, 1887); Geiger-Kuhn, "Grund- riss der iranischen Philologie" (Strasburg, 189(3 — ); BUhler-Kielhorn, " Grundriss der indo-arischen Phi- lologie" (Strasburg, 189(3 — ); Jagie, "Grundriss der slaviscben Philologie" (1908). The province of juris- prudence has also been covered in a similar manner in the course of the nineteenth century, especially by Arndt, "Jurist. Encvk. u. Methodologie" (Stuttgart, 1S43; 10th ed., 1901); Bluhme, "Encyk. der in Deutschland geltenden Rechte" (Bonn, 1847-58); Merkel, "Juristische Encyk. " (Berlin, 1885; 3rd ed., 1904). Theology was also summarized by the Cath- olics: Staudenmaier, "Encyk. der theolog. Wissen- schaften" (2nd ed., Mainz, 1840); Wirthraiiller, " Encvk. der kath.Theologie"( 1874); Klee, "Encvk. der Theologie" (1832); Kihn, "Encyk. und Metho- dologie der Theologie" (1892); Ivrieg, "Encyk. der theolog. Wissenschaften" (1899); by Protestants: ZOckler, "Handbueh der theolog. Wissenschaften" (Munich, 1882-85); Hagenbach, "Encyk. und Metho- dologie der theolog. Wissenschaften "(12th ed., Leipzig, 1889); Heinrici, "Theolog. encyk." (1893); Kahler, " Wissenschaf t der ehristl. Lehre " (1893); Riibiger, "Theologik" (1880); Achelis-Baumgarten, "Grund- riss der theol. Wissenschaften" (1892). Pedagogj' is treated in the "Encykl. der Padagogie" of Stoy (1861 ; 2nd ed., 1878) ; political science by Baumstark, " Kameralistische Encyk." ( 1835) ; and vonMohl, " En- cyk. der Staatswissenschaft " (1859; 2nd ed., 1872); the progress of civilization by Diinkelberg, " Encyk. und Methodologie der Kulturtechnik" (1883); forestry by Dombrowski, "Allg. Encykl. der ges. Forst- und Jagdwissenschaften" (1886-94); physics by Lardner, "Cabinet Cyclopedia" (132 vols., London, 1829-46; 2d ed., 1854); "Allgemeine Encykl. der Physik", ed. Lament, Helmholtz, and others; and chemistry by Fremy, "Encycl. chim." (Paris, 1886). The "En- cyclopaedia Metropolitana" of S. Taylor Coleridge is of a more general scope, as also the vast undertak- ing of Iwan Miiller, which embraces every branch of classical learning, treated by specialists, " Handbueh der klassischen AltertumswLssenschaft " (Munich, 1885; vols, since republished separately). Among the various attempts to treat history in this manner may be mentioned Oncken's "Allgemeine Gesch. in Einzeldarstellungen" (45 vols., Berlin, 1879-93). Nearly everj' branch may boast of some encyclopedic work to facilitate a rapid general survey of the sub- ject, its history, aim, and object, and, above all, to present the results of special investigation in the several departments of the science. An important contribution along these lines, now in the course of publication, which ^\ill give the general reader an out- look upon the various branches of knowledge, is "Die Kultur der Gegenwart", ed. Hinneberg (Leip- zig. 1906—).

The first to arrange encyclopedic matter according to an alphabetical system was Suidas, during whose time (tenth and eleventh centuries) the necessity of general information on Byzantine culture made itself felt, especially during the reign of Constantine VII, PorphjTOgenitus (913-59). Tlie lexicon of Suidas was first imitated by Furetiere (Rotterdam, 1690); Thomas Corneille (Paris. 1694); Ephraim Chambers in his "Cyclopiedia" ( London, 1728); Jablonski, "Lexikon der Ktinste und Wissenschaften" (Leipzig, 1721);Mor^ri, "Grand diet. historique" (Lyons. 1674); and Hiibner, " Reales-Staats-Zeitungs-undKonversa- tions-Lexikon " (1704; 31st ed., Leipzig, 1824-28). As to contents the encyclopedias of this period may likewise be divided into general encyclopedias (Kon- versationsIeTtkon) , and technical encyclopedias or dic- tionaries ( Realu'urterhuch or Realena/klopadie). The most important work for the popularization of the results of scientific research was Bayle's " Diet, histor- ique et critique" (Rotterdam, 1695-97). The am-