SOURCE: “Philosophical Position,” in Schleiermacher: Personal and Speculative, Alexander Gardner, 1903, pp. 131-223.

In the following excerpt, Munro presents a detailed overview of Schleiermacher's philosophy, focusing on his theory of knowledge, the elements of thought, and the distinction drawn between religion and philosophy.

I.—general View.

The philosophy of Schleiermacher, while not absolutely original, is very much more than a mere repetition of the results of the critical method. It is an independent study of the problem of knowledge—a study which, although making free use of the materials of past investigators, so builds them into an organic whole that the structure represents an entirely new view of truth. It is an attempt to discover the absolute unity underlying all philosophical enquiries, and in the light of which the most diverse speculations can be harmonized. In the search after this unity—which is the never-ending task of philosophy—it...