SOURCE: “The Scientific Basis of Pessimism: (A) The Pessimists' Interpretation of Physical Nature, The Scientific Basis of Pessimism: (B) The Pessimists' Interpretation of Interpretation of Mind, The Empirical Basis of Pessimism,” in Pessimism: A History and a Criticism, Henry S. King & Co., 1877, pp. 183-255.

In the following excerpt, Sully questions Hartmann's grasp of science to explain his philosophical theories, and asserts that Hartmann's concept of “Will” does not allow consideration of physical and emotional sensations.

The Scientific Basis of Pessimism: (a) the Pessimists's Interpretation of Physical Nature.

The pessimism both of Schopenhauer and of Hartmann is based on the conception of will as the reality of the world. This idea, though in its state of complete formation a metaphysical one, is during the earlier stages of its formation a scientific one. Both Schopenhauer and Hartmann profess to ground their ontological reality on the data of science, and both...