His chief work,
Historia Critica Philosophiae ("Critical History of Philosophy"), appeared at
Leipzig (originally 5 volumes, 1742–1744). Its success was such that a new edition was published in six volumes (1766–1767; English translation by
William Enfield, 1791). It is primarily by this work alone that Brucker is now known, and was the modern era's first complete history of the different philosophical schools. It embodies an ample collection of materials, and contains valuable biographies.
Schopenhauer in his advice to read the original writings of philosophers, praised Brucker. He wrote that "Their real study demands all of a long and studious life, such as the stout-hearted Brucker formerly devoted to them in the industrious times of old (
Parerga and Paralipomena, Volume 1, "Fragments for the History of Philosophy," § 1)." The
Historia is also credited as a major influence on
Immanuel Kant and the development of his doctrine of "ideas" and the "perfect republic" in the
Critique of Pure Reason. He also wrote
Tentamen Introductionis in Historiam Doctrinae de Ideis, afterwards completed and republished under the title of
Historia Philosophicae Doctrinae de Ideis (Augsburg, 1723);
Otium Vindelicum (1731);
Kurze Fragen aus der philosophischen Historiae (7 volumes, Ulm, 1731–1736), a
history of philosophy in question and answer, containing many details, especially in the department of
literary history, which he omitted in his chief work;
Pinacotheca Scriptorum nostra aetate literis illustrium, etc. (Augsburg, 1741–1755);
Ehrentempel der deutschen Gelehrsamkeit (Augsburg, 1747–1749);
Institutiones Historiae Philosophicae (Leipzig, 1747 and 1756; 3rd edition with a continuation by F. G. B. Born (1743–1807) of Leipzig, in 1790);
Miscellanea Historiae Philosophicae Literariae Criticae olim sparsim edita (Augsburg, 1748);
Erste Anfangsgründe der philosophischen Geschichte (Ulm, 1751). He superintended an edition of
Martin Luther's translation of the
Old and
New Testament, with a commentary extracted from the writings of the English theologians (Leipzig, 1758–1770, completed by V. A. Teller). ==Legacy==