The Role of Intention in Anton Wilhelm Amo’s Philosophical Project

We provide the first in-depth analysis of Anton Wilhelm Amo ’s 1734 Tractatus de Arte Sobrie et Accurate Philosophandi by examining the fundamental role that intention plays in this work. Specifically, we argue that the “Intentional Principle, ” which states that everything that exists (except for God) is the effect of an intentional action, is key to understanding his account of the operations of human and divine spirits and his account of what exists (and why). In doing so, we demonstrate that Amo was a systematic thinker who grounded his philosophy in intention. Furthermore, we show that intentions are key to understanding Amo ’s views on what the ends of philosophy are and how philosophical inquiry ought to be pursued.