Bolzano, Bernhard

Bolzano, Bernhard, a Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher of Germany, was born at Prague, Oct. 5, 1781. In 1805 he. took orders, and was appointed professor of the philosophy of religion in the High school of Prague. His lectures, in which he endeavored so to present the system of Catholic theology as to show its complete harmony with reason, were received with eager interest by the younger generation of thinkers. His views met with great opposition, but he was defended by the archbishop Salm-Salm, and thus retained his chair until 1820, when he was compelled to resign it. Several doctrines extracted from his works were condemned at Rome, and he was suspended from his priestly functions. He devoted himself to literary work from that time until his death, at Prague, Dec. 18, 1848. His principal works are, Lehrbuch der Religionswissenschaft (Sulzbach, 1834, 4 vols.): — Wissenschaftslehre (ibid. 1837, 4 vols.) —Athanasia, oder Guiindefiir die Unsterblichkeit ders Seele (2d ed. Salzburg, 1838):Was ist Philosophie? (Vienna, 1849): — Kurzgefasstes Lehrbich der Katholisch- christl. Religion (Bautzen, eod.). See Lebensbeschreeibung des Dr. Bolzano (autobiography, Sulzbach, 1836); Weisshaupt, Skizzen aus dem LebenDr. Bolzano's (Leipsic, 1850); Hoffmann, Bruchstiicke zu einer kiunftigen Lebensbeschreibung des Dr. Bolzanzo (Vienna, 1850); Erdmann, Grundrniss der Gesch. d. Phil. ii, 385 sq.