The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong

"The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong" by Franz Brentano is a discourse from the early 1900s, where Brentano, speaks to the Vienna Law Society, focusing on concepts of ethics, law, and natural rights, all while questioning present-day philosophical views. Brentano seeks to investigate where our understanding of morality origins and what makes up the natural principles of ethics. Setting the stage, Brentano explains his goal to look into a "natural sanction" for what is lawful and moral, to contrast it against Ihering's points of view. He highlights that morals apply to everyone, going against the thought that morals are something we are born with, pushing for historical and philosophical background is needed when studying the law. This introduction begins an investigation on the principles of ethics which will be expanded on later.