Georg Anton Friedrich Ast

Georg Anton Friedrich Ast ( born December 29, 1778 in Gotha, † December 31, 1841 in Munich) was a German classical scholar and philosopher who was known as a historian of philosophy and Plato as researchers.

Life

Branch began in 1798 at the University of Jena to study theology, but changed under the influence of philological Events Heinrich Karl Eichstädts to classical philology and philosophy. After graduating in 1802 he spent three years as professor of philology and philosophy in Jena. In 1805 he accepted an appointment to the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Landshut as professor of aesthetics. He was also in 1807 professor of universal history. After laying, the University of Munich in 1826 branch moved there and in 1827 a full member of the Philosophy and History Class of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

Work

Branch wrote numerous manuals in aesthetic, grammatical, philosophical and historical area. From 1808 to 1810 gave Branch the magazine for science and art out. Philosophy Historically represented branch based on Schelling an organic conception of history. In contrast to the rationalist thought of the Enlightenment emphasized road in the spirit of romantic speculative, philosophical moment that one must combine in the historiography of empiricism. He also expressed the view that the history of philosophy is to be regarded as a part of universal history, and sought the beginning of philosophy is no longer among the Greeks, but in the ancient Orient. Branch is probably the first who formulated the thesis of the hermeneutic circle. A later focus of his research was on the life and work of the Greek philosopher Plato, in which he particularly held the genius and poetry for significant. His most noted works in this field, the estimated long after his death, were, among others, Plato's life and writings (1816 ), a complete edition with Latin translation in 9 volumes ( 1819-1827 ), two volumes comments to the Platonic dialogues Protagoras, Phaedrus, Gorgias and Phaedo (1829-1832) and an extensive Lexicon Platonicum ( 1,974 pages) in three volumes ( 1834-1839 ).

Writings

• Outline of a history of philosophy. Thomann, Landshut in 1807, digitized version of the edition 1807 ( 2, increased and improved edition. Ibid. 1825, digitized version of the 1825 edition ).
• Elements of the grammar, hermeneutics and criticism. Thomann, Landshut 1808 digitized.
• Outline of philology. Krüll, Landshut 1808 digitized.
• Plato 's life and writings. An attempt to distinguish the true and genuine from the fictitious and foisted in life as in the writings of Plato, and the time sequence outlaw conversations to determine. Weidmann, Leipzig 1816 digitized.
• Principal moments of the history of philosophy Weber, Munich 1829 digitized.
• Lexicon Platonicum immersive vocum Platonicarum index. 3 volumes. Weidmann, Leipzig from 1835 to 1839.