Christian Wolff (1679-1754) is the most central character of the German Enlightenment. In Germany, his philosophy was predominant from the 1720s to the 1750s. In 1728 he started to publish his extensive Latin work, starting with the »Discursus praelimaris«. In this short and concise work he outlines the central points of his philosophy, treating the problem of the appropriate method of philosophy and the freedom to philosophise. The introduction sketches the location of the 'Discursus' within Wolff's philosophical system, points out its structure, discusses the covered themes historically and systematically and opens an outlook to its history of reception and its importance to the German Enlightenment. The appendix discloses Wolff's sources and provides historical background knowledge that is vital to the understanding of the text.
