A debate between Alimpije Vasiljevic and Milan Kujundzic Aberdar (1865-1873)

In his lauding review of Dimitrije Matic?s (1821-1884) History of Philosophy (largely based on ?. Schwegler), published in 1865 in the journal Vila, started and edited by Stojan Novakovic (1842-1915), Alimpije Vasiljevic (1831-1911) assessed the pattern of the book as one of the latest and best in the field. In his critical reaction to Vasiljevic?s review, Milan Kujundzic (1842-1893) challenged his assessment. For the generation of the United Serbian Youth, Hegelianism was unacceptable for two reasons: because of increasingly influential positivism (naturalism) and scientism, and because of the strengthening of the ideology of Greater Germany with which it was equated. Both Vasiljevic and Kujundzic were liberals. Their debate, however, was harsh and long, and the intellectual public followed it with ?particular attention?. They polemicized about, inter alia, the actual philosophical relevance of the issue of idealism vs. materialism. Even though the debate showed inconsistencies and contradictions in argumentation, it led to independence in problem formulation and solving.