ABSTRACT
On the divisions of knowledge, Christian Wolff parsed two major categories: common (or natural) knowledge and scientific (exact) knowledge. Scientific (exact) knowledge is in turn divided into historical, philosophical, and mathematical categories. Knowledge of the quantity of things is called mathematics. The knowledge of the reason [why] of things that are or occur is called philosophy. Philosophical knowledge differs from historical knowledge. Historical knowledge provides the foundation for philosophical knowledge insofar as experience establishes those things from which the reason can be given for other things that are and occur or can occur. Common historical knowledge is the lowest grade of human knowledge. For historical knowledge is acquired by the senses attending to things that actually are or occur. Art often reduces secret historical knowledge to common historical knowledge. The operations of art and experiments often bring to light facts of nature that otherwise would be hidden.
