Ernst Peter Wilhelm Troeltsch (; ; 17 February 1865 – 1 February 1923) was a German
liberal Protestant theologian, a writer on the
philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known Text (literary theo ...
and the
philosophy of history
Philosophy of history is the philosophy, philosophical study of history and its academic discipline, discipline. The term was coined by the French philosopher Voltaire.
In contemporary philosophy a distinction has developed between the ''specul ...
, and a
classical liberal politician. He was a member of the
history of religions school. His work was a synthesis of a number of strands, drawing on
Albrecht Ritschl,
Max Weber
Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German Sociology, sociologist, historian, jurist, and political economy, political economist who was one of the central figures in the development of sociology and the social sc ...
's conception of
sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
, and the
Baden school of
neo-Kantianism.
Life
Troeltsch was born on 17 February 1865 into a Lutheran family to a doctor and went to a Catholic school in a predominantly Catholic area. He then attended university, at the
University of Erlangen and then at the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...
. During his university years, he experienced difficulties in his student fraternity as a result of his
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
. His ordination in 1889 was followed in 1891 by a post teaching theology at Göttingen. In 1892, he moved on to teach at the
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...
. In 1894, he moved on again to
Heidelberg University. Finally, in 1915, he transferred to teach at what is now the
University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany.
The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...
, where he took the title of professor of philosophy and civilization. Troeltsch died on 1 February 1923. The church historian
Adolf von Harnack spoke at his funeral.
Theology
Throughout Troeltsch's life, he wrote frequently of his belief that changes in society posed a threat to Christian religion and that "the disenchantment of the world" as described by sociologist
Max Weber
Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German Sociology, sociologist, historian, jurist, and political economy, political economist who was one of the central figures in the development of sociology and the social sc ...
was underway. At an academic conference that took place in 1896, after a paper on the doctrine of ''
Logos'', Troeltsch responded by saying, "Gentlemen, everything is tottering!" Troeltsch also agreed with Weber's
Protestant work ethic
The Protestant work ethic, also known as the Calvinist work ethic or the Puritan work ethic, is a work ethic concept in sociology, economics, and history. It emphasizes that a person's subscription to the values espoused by the Protestantism, Pro ...
, restating it in his ''
Protestantism and Progress''. He viewed the creation of capitalism as having been the result of the specific Protestant sects named by Weber, rather than as a result of Protestantism as a whole. However, his analysis of Protestanitsm was more optimistic than Weber's in its focus on religious personal conviction as a source for individualism and spiritual mysticism as a source for subjectivism. Troeltsch interpreted non-Calvinist Protestantism as having had a positive effect on the development of the press, modern education systems, and politics.
His study, ''The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches'' (1912)'','' is about the history of Christian social precepts -- as they pertain to culture, economics, and institutions -- in the history of Western Civilization. Troeltsch's distinction between churches and sects as social types, for instance, set the course for further theological study.
Troeltsch sought to explain the decline of religion in the modern era by studying the historical evolution of religion in society. He described European civilization as having three periods:
ancient
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...
,
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
, and
modern. Instead of claiming that modernity starts with the rise of
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, Troeltsch argued that early Protestantism should be understood as a continuation of the medieval period. Therefore, the modern period starts later in his account: in the seventeenth century. The Renaissance in Italy and the scientific revolution planted the seeds for the arrival of the modern period. Protestantism delayed, rather than heralded, modernity. The reform movement around Luther, Troeltsch argued, was "in the first place, simply a modification of Catholicism, in which the Catholic formulation of the problems was retained, while a different answer was given to them."
Troeltsch saw the distinction between early and late (or "neo-") Protestantism as "the presupposition for any historical understanding of Protestantism."
Historiography
Troeltsch developed three principles pertaining to critical
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods used by historians in developing history as an academic discipline. By extension, the term ":wikt:historiography, historiography" is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiog ...
. Each of the principles served as a philosophical retort for preconceived notions. Troeltsch's principles (criticism, analogy, correlation) were used to account for historians' biases.
Principle of criticism
Troeltsch's claim in the principle concludes that absolutes within history cannot exist. Troeltsch surmised that judgments about the past must be varied. As such, the absolute truth of historical reality could not exist, but he claimed historical situation could be examined as more or less likely to have happened. For Troeltsch, finite and non-revisable historical claims are questionable.
Principle of analogy
Historians often think in analogies, which leads them to make anachronistic claims about the past. Troeltsch argued that the probability of analogies cannot usually be validated. He presented human nature as being fairly constant throughout time.
Principle of correlation
In regard to historical events, Troeltsch determined that humanity's historical life is interdependent upon each individual. Since the cumulative actions of individuals create historical events, there is a causal nature to all events that create an effect. Any radical event, the historian should assume, affected the historical nexus immediately surrounding that event. Troeltsch determines that in historical explanation, it is important to include antecedents and consequences of events in an effort to maintain historical events in their conditioned time and space.
Politics
Troeltsch was politically a
classical liberal and served as a member of the Parliament of the
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918.
The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...
. In 1918, he joined the
German Democratic Party (DDP). He strongly supported Germany's role in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
: "Yesterday we took up arms. Listen to the
ethos
''Ethos'' is a Greek word meaning 'character' that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the ...
that resounds in the splendour of heroism: To your weapons, to your weapons!"
Reception
In the immediate aftermath of Troeltsch's death, his work neglected as part of a wider rejection of
liberal thought with the rise of
neo-orthodoxy in Protestant theology, especially with the prominence of
Karl Barth in the German-speaking world. From 1960 onwards, however, Troeltsch's thought has enjoyed a revival. Several books on Troeltsch's theological and sociological work have been published since 2000.
References
Sources
* Chapman, Mark. ''Ernst Troeltsch and Liberal Theology: Religion and Cultural Synthesis in Wilhelmine Germany'' (Oxford University Press 2002)
*Gerrish, B. A. (1975)
''Jesus, Myth, and History: Troeltsch's Stand in the "Christ-Myth" Debate'' ''
The Journal of Religion'' 55 (1): 13–35.
* Pauck, Wilhelm. ''Harnack and Troeltsch: Two historical theologians'' (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015)
* Nix, Jr., Echol, ''Ernst Troeltsch and Comparative Theology'' (Peter Lang Publishing; 2010) 247 pages; a study of Troeltsch and the contemporary American philosopher and theologian Robert Neville (b. 1939).
*
Norton, Robert E. ''The Crucible of German Democracy. Ernst Troeltsch and the First World War'' (Mohr Siebeck 2021).
* Troesltch, Ernst, "Historiography" in James Hastings (ed.), Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1914), VI, 716–723.
* Troeltsch, Ernst, "Protestantism and Progress," (Transaction Publishers, 2013) with an Introduction - "Protestantism and Progress, Redux," by Howard G. Schneiderman.
External links
''Ernst Troeltsch-Gesamtausgabe''''Troeltsch-Studien. Neue Folge''*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troeltsch, Ernst
1865 births
1923 deaths
Writers from Augsburg
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
German Lutheran theologians
Kantian philosophers
Sociologists of religion
19th-century German Protestant theologians
German Democratic Party politicians
University of Augsburg alumni
University of Erlangen–Nuremberg alumni
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
University of Göttingen alumni
Academic staff of the University of Göttingen
Academic staff of the University of Bonn
Academic staff of Heidelberg University
Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery
History of religions school
LGBTQ theologians
19th-century German LGBTQ people
20th-century German LGBTQ people
LGBTQ Lutherans
LGBTQ philosophers