Bolzano, Bernhard

BOLZANO, bel-tsɑ̄´nō, BERNHARD: German Roman Catholic theologian, and noted mathematician; b. at Prague Oct. 5, 1781; d. there Dec. 18, 1848. He took orders and was made professor of the philosophy of religion in Prague 1805. He was soon suspected of heterodoxy, was accused at Rome by the Jesuits, and in 1820, on a charge of connection with certain student societies, was compelled to resign his professorship; he was also suspended from his priestly functions. Thenceforth he devoted himself to study and literary work. He sought to reconcile the teachings of the Church with reason and, it was said, considered the reasonableness of a doctrine of more importance than its traditional belief. In philosophy he was influenced by Leibnitz and Kant. His contributions to mathematical science were original and important. His works were numerous; the most noteworthy are Lehrbuch der Religionswissenschaft (4 vols., Sulzbach, 1834), a philosophic presentation of the dogmas of Roman Catholic theology; Wissenschaftslehre; Versuch einer neuen Darstellung der Logik (4 vols., 1837).

Bibliography: Lebensbeschreibung des Dr. Bolzano, new ed., Vienna, 1875 (an autobiography); Dr. Bolzano und seine Gegner. Ein Beitrag zur neuesten Literaturgeschichte, ib. 1839; A. Wisshaupt, Skizzen aus dem Leben B. Bolzanos, Liepsic, 1850.