Adopting the
Kantian standpoint that we can know nothing but
phenomena, Lange maintains that neither
materialism nor any other
metaphysical system has a valid claim to ultimate
truth. For
empirical phenomenal knowledge, however, which is all that humans can look for,
materialism with its exact
scientific methods has done most valuable service. Ideal metaphysics, though they fail of the inner truth of things, have a value as the embodiment of high aspirations, in the same way as
poetry and
religion. He also mentioned
Blanqui's ''L'Eternité par les astres'', which discussed the thesis of an
Eternal Return. At one time Nietzsche planned to write a dissertation on the notion of organism in Kant's philosophy (letter to
Paul Deussen). He also envisioned sending a work on Democritus, a major focus of Lange, to Deussen. == See also ==