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Friedrich Paulsen (; ; July 16, 1846 – August 14, 1908) was a German
fps-niebuell.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulsen, Friedrich 1846 births 1908 deaths 19th-century German educators 19th-century German essayists 19th-century German male writers 19th-century German philosophers 20th-century German educators 20th-century German essayists 20th-century German male writers 20th-century German philosophers Action theorists German consciousness researchers and theorists Continental philosophers German epistemologists German ethicists German humanists German male essayists German male non-fiction writers Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin Kantian philosophers Metaphysics writers Ontologists Panpsychism German philosophers of education 19th-century German educational theorists Philosophers of literature German philosophers of mind Philosophers of war German philosophy academics German political philosophers Rationalists People educated at the Gymnasium Christianeum
Friedrich Paulsen (; ; July 16, 1846 – August 14, 1908) was a German Neo-Kantian
In late modern philosophy, neo-Kantianism () was a revival of the 18th-century philosophy of Immanuel Kant. The neo-Kantians sought to develop and clarify Kant's theories, particularly his concept of the thing-in-itself and his moral philosophy ...
philosopher
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
and educator
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
.
Biography
He was born at Langenhorn (Schleswig
The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been di ...
) and educated at the Gymnasium Christianeum
The Gymnasium Christianeum is a famous former Latin school (German: ''Lateinschule'') in Hamburg, northern Germany. Founded in 1738 by King Christian VI of Denmark, it is now housed in a building planned by Danish designer Arne Jacobsen.
His ...
, the University of Erlangen
A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
, and 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 ...
. He completed his doctoral thesis
A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...
under Friedrich Adolf Trendelenburg
Friedrich Adolf Trendelenburg (; ; 30 November 1802 – 24 January 1872) was a German philosopher and philologist.
Life
He was born at Eutin, near Lübeck. He was placed in a gymnasium in Eutin, which was under the direction of , a philologist ...
at Berlin in 1871, he habilitated
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellen ...
there in 1875, and he became extraordinary professor of philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
and pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...
there in 1878. In 1896 he succeeded Eduard Zeller
Eduard Gottlob Zeller (; ; 22 January 181419 March 1908) was a German philosopher and Protestant theologian of the Tübingen School of theology. He was well known for his writings on Ancient Greek philosophy, especially Pre-Socratic Philosophy, ...
as professor of moral philosophy
Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied et ...
at Berlin.
He was the greatest of the pupils of Gustav Theodor Fechner
Gustav Theodor Fechner (; ; 19 April 1801 – 18 November 1887) was a German physicist, philosopher, and experimental psychologist. A pioneer in experimental psychology and founder of psychophysics (techniques for measuring the mind), he inspired ...
, to whose doctrine of panpsychism
In philosophy of mind, panpsychism () is the view that the mind or a mind-like aspect is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of reality. It is also described as a theory that "the mind is a fundamental feature of the world which exists throug ...
he gave great prominence by his ''Einleitung in die Philosophie'' (1892; 7th ed., 1900; Eng. trans., 1895). He went, however, considerably beyond Fechner in attempting to give an epistemological
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowled ...
account of the knowledge of the psychophysical. Admitting Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (born Emanuel Kant; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German Philosophy, philosopher and one of the central Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works ...
's hypothesis that by inner sense we are conscious of mental states
A mental state, or a mental property, is a state of mind of a person. Mental states comprise a diverse class, including perception, pain/pleasure experience, belief, desire, intention, emotion, and memory. There is controversy concerning the exact ...
only, he holds that this consciousness constitutes a knowledge of the thing-in-itself
In Kantian philosophy, the thing-in-itself () is the status of objects as they are, independent of representation and observation. The concept of the thing-in-itself was introduced by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, and over the following ...
which Kant denies. Soul is, therefore, a practical reality which Paulsen, with Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer ( ; ; 22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher. He is known for his 1818 work ''The World as Will and Representation'' (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the Phenomenon, phenomenal world as ...
, regards as known by the act 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
...
. But this will is neither rational
Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reason. In this regard, a person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do, or a belief is rational if it is based on strong evidence. This quality can apply to an ...
desire
Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", "wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of affa ...
, unconscious
Unconscious may refer to:
Physiology
* Unconsciousness, the lack of consciousness or responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli
Psychology
* Unconscious mind, the mind operating well outside the attention of the conscious mind a ...
irrational
Irrationality is cognition, thinking, talking, or acting without rationality.
Irrationality often has a negative connotation, as thinking and actions that are less useful or more illogical than other more rational alternatives. The concept of ...
will, nor conscious
Consciousness, at its simplest, is awareness of a state or object, either internal to oneself or in one's external environment. However, its nature has led to millennia of analyses, explanations, and debate among philosophers, scientists, a ...
intelligent will, but an instinct
Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing innate (inborn) elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a very short to me ...
, a will to live (''Zielstrebigkeit''), often subconscious
In psychology, the subconscious is the part of the mind that is not currently of focal awareness. The term was already popularized in the early 20th century in areas ranging from psychology, religion and spirituality. The concept was heavily popu ...
, pursuing ends
End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to:
End Mathematics
*End (category theory)
*End (topology)
*End (graph theory)
*End (graph_theory)#Cayley_graphs, End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous)
*End (endomorphism) Sports and games
*End (gridir ...
, indeed, but without reasoning
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...
as to means
Means may refer to:
* Means LLC, an anti-capitalist media worker cooperative
* Means (band), a Christian hardcore band from Regina, Saskatchewan
* Means, Kentucky, a town in the US
* Means (surname)
* Means Johnston Jr. (1916–1989), US Navy ...
. This conception of will, though consistent and convenient to the main thesis, must be rigidly distinguished from the ordinary significance of will, i.e. rational desire.
Paulsen was a proponent of hylozoism
Hylozoism is the philosophical doctrine according to which all matter is alive or animated, either in itself or as participating in the action of a superior principle, usually the world-soul (''anima mundi''). The theory holds that matter ...
, stating it is “a conception which almost irresistibly forces itself upon modern biology."
Paulsen is almost better known for his educational writings than as a pure philosopher, including his ''German Education, Past and Present'' (Eng. trans., by I. Lorenz, 1907).
Works
Among his other works are: *''Versuch einer Entwickelunggeschichte der Kantischen Erkenntnistheorie'' (Leipzig, 1875) *''Im. Kant'' (1898, 1899) * * ''Geschichte des gelehrten Unterrichts auf den deutschen Schulen und Universitäten'' (1885, 1896) * '' System der Ethik'' (1889, 1899; Eng. trans. artial1899) * ''Das Realgymnasium u. d. humanist. Bildung'' (1889) * ''Kant d. Philos. d. Protestantismus'' (1899) * ''Schopenhauer, Hamlet u. Mephistopheles'' (1900) * ''Philosophia militans'' (1900, 1901) * ''Parteipolitik u. Moral'' (1900)See also
* German new humanismNotes
References
*External links
*fps-niebuell.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulsen, Friedrich 1846 births 1908 deaths 19th-century German educators 19th-century German essayists 19th-century German male writers 19th-century German philosophers 20th-century German educators 20th-century German essayists 20th-century German male writers 20th-century German philosophers Action theorists German consciousness researchers and theorists Continental philosophers German epistemologists German ethicists German humanists German male essayists German male non-fiction writers Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin Kantian philosophers Metaphysics writers Ontologists Panpsychism German philosophers of education 19th-century German educational theorists Philosophers of literature German philosophers of mind Philosophers of war German philosophy academics German political philosophers Rationalists People educated at the Gymnasium Christianeum