Lotze's Theory of Reality #252739

In the writings of this early period Lotze took up a definite point of view with regard to the nature of reality as it manifests itself in the material world. He also put forward his theory as to the nature and function of thought in reference to reality. In his scientific writings he was concerned to establish the View that all problems connected with the movements and forces of the material world, of the world of living beings, and also of the movements of mind in so far as they are psychological, must be solved by purely scientific methods, and on a thoroughly mechanistic basis. He did not put forward a mechanistic theory of the nature of reality; on the contrary, he did not hold such a theory. What he wanted to Show is that mechanical laws rule over the whole of reality in so far as that reality is material and dependent upon what is thus material; and that these laws must have their full weight in any explanation of what takes place in the world. This does not exclude any deeper interpretation as to the ultimate meaning of what takes place.