Alexander Pfänder (7 February 1870,

Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region. Geogr ...

18 March 1941,

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

) was a German philosopher who was a member of the

Munich phenomenological school Munich phenomenology (also Munich phenomenological school) is the philosophical orientation of a group of philosophers and psychologists that studied and worked in Munich at the turn of the twentieth century. Their views are grouped under the names ...

Biography

Pfänder was born in

and spent his entire academic career in

, where he was a student of

Theodor Lipps Theodor Lipps (; 28 July 1851 – 17 October 1914) was a German philosopher, known for his theory regarding aesthetics, creating the framework for the concept of ''Einfühlung'' (empathy)'','' defined as, "projecting oneself onto the object of p ...

and one of the founding members of the Munich circle of phenomenologists. As a professor Pfänder was also influential in conveying and promoting a version of phenomenology that differed from

Edmund Husserl Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl (; 8 April 1859 – 27 April 1938) was an Austrian-German philosopher and mathematician who established the school of Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology. In his early work, he elaborated critiques of histori ...

's " transcendental" orientation. His early phenomenological analysis of

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

ing (1900) in fact predated Husserl's breakthrough in phenomenology (''Logical Investigations'', vol. II (1901)). In spite of his talents as a writer and a teacher, Pfänder did not come into prominence as did

Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; 26 September 1889 – 26 May 1976) was a German philosopher known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. His work covers a range of topics including metaphysics, art, and language. In April ...

with ''

Being and Time ''Being and Time'' () is the 1927 ''magnum opus'' of German philosopher Martin Heidegger and a key document of existentialism. ''Being and Time'' had a notable impact on subsequent philosophy, literary theory and many other fields. Though controv ...

'' (1927) and has consequently been overshadowed by subsequent developments out of Heideggerian and Husserlian orientations. Nevertheless, his detailed analyses of various phenomena, such as willing and attitudes (''Gesinnungen''), have been undeservedly ignored. Moreover, his development of the concept of an "understanding psychology" also merits attention, which has not received its due to its treatment in a work with an unfashionable title (''The Soul of Man'' (1933)).

Works

* ''Phänomenologie des Wollens: Eine psychologische Analyse'' (1900) * ''Logik'' (1921) English translation: ''Logic'' Frankfurt, Ontos Verlag, 2009. * ''Die Seele des Menschen'' (1933).

External links

*
'Pfänder, Alexander (1871–1941)'
''Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' 19th-century German philosophers 20th-century German philosophers 1870 births 1941 deaths People from Iserlohn German male writers Burials at the Westfriedhof (Munich) Phenomenologists {{Germany-philosopher-stub