Heinz Heimsoeth

Heinz Heimsoeth ( born August 12, 1886 in Cologne, † 10 September 1975 ) was a German philosopher who was known primarily for his work on the history of philosophy and Kant researchers.

Life

Heimsoeth, the son of a doctor, great-nephew of the philologist Friedrich Heimsoeth and great-grandson of the former Prussian Prime Minister Ludolf Campenhausen, visited the Cologne Apostle High School. Already during his school years he heard lectures by Benno Erdmann at the Cologne Business School. He began his studies in philosophy with minors in mathematics and art history in 1905 in Heidelberg. After only one semester, he moved to Berlin, where he heard of Wilhelm Dilthey, Alois Riehl and Ernst Cassirer for three semesters. In connection with a dissertation on Kant, he moved in 1907 to Marburg. Here he continued his studies with Hermann Cohen and Paul Natorp. In Marburg he met Nicolai Hartmann, with whom he remained a lifelong friend and a detailed correspondence led. His doctorate was in 1911 on " Descartes ' method of clear and distinct knowledge." After a year of study in Paris with Henri Bergson and the psychologist Pierre Janet, he habilitated in 1913 in Marburg at Natorp on " Leibniz's method of formal reasoning ." His trial lecture was titled " The concept of freedom in Boutroux and Bergson ." During the First World War Heimsoeth translator for French prisoners was used in a camp near Ludwigsburg. Its already problematic at this time anti-Semitic attitude comes in a letter to Hartmann expressed, in which he commented on the controversy over an article by Bruno belly in the Kant-Studien with the remark, " that the Kant -St [ udien ] are final verjudet "where, however, he also opposed a strong nationalism. Following an extraordinary professorship in 1921 in Marburg, where he held a teaching position for aesthetics, he became in 1923 a full professor in Königsberg. 1931 moved Heimsoeth on a chair in Cologne.

Philosophically Heimsoeth Hartmann broke away from the idealistic position of neo-Kantianism. In his landmark study of the fundamental questions of metaphysics, he emphasized the break between ancient philosophy and the philosophy of the Middle Ages. On the other hand he saw already in the late Middle Ages, the basics for thought in the Renaissance set, which require lots over rationalism, Kant and German Idealism, to Nietzsche. Kant interpreted Heimsoeth as Friedrich Paulsen, Erich Adickes or Max Wundt as a metaphysician.

After the " seizure of power" by the Nazis and joining the NSDAP (member number 2092609 ), he was Dean of the Faculty in 1933. He had again 1943/44, held the post. On 1 June 1934 he was a member of the NSLB (No. 290 843; resigned on 13 May 1939). He also belonged to the NSDDB. Heimsoeth was a board member of the nationalist- conservative German Society for Philosophy and chairman of the local chapter of Cologne. Under Bruno belly he took over in 1934 the editor of "Leaves of German philosophy."

Heimsoeth supported Nazism politically, but he kept his distance to the National Socialist philosophy. He was attacked in 1934 in a pamphlet of the National Socialist Student League, because he refused to acknowledge the use of the term "race" as a philosophical concept, and was also seen by Alfred Baeumler critical. In October 1942, the strict National Socialist philosopher Breslauer August Faust wrote to the Main Office of Science Office Rosenberg: "I think it would be extremely dangerous to entrust such a man with lectures abroad. He is in no way a representative of German philosophy, as required by the National Socialist ideology. His books could just be so well written twenty years ago, " On the other hand, expressed Ferdinand Weinhandl, also a regime near philosopher about Heimsoeths activity as editor of the leaves for German philosophy ." I must admit that as editor Heimsoeth, whether out of conviction or prudence, is quite generous, and the overall picture of the magazine is not a collecting point of the reaction. Again and again, the problem is discussed race and philosophy. "

After the war, known Heimsoeth that he had seen in the National Socialist movement a possibility for renewal of society:

Heimsoeths way to philosophize characterized Friedrich Kaulbach:

Heimsoeth himself described in retrospect as the key elements of his philosophy " the person as existence ", the " originality of freedom " and the " emergence of learned from Kant self-discovery and self-positing of the shadow of the hitherto prevailing Kant believes. " He also pointed to the early influence Nietzsche's back, to which he had published in the 1930s, some attachments:

Heimsoeth 1949 Member of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. In 1954 his retirement. In 1966 he received from the Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Cologne honorary doctorate.

Writings

• The method of cognition in Descartes and Leibnitz. 2 vols. Töpelmann, casting 1912-1914.
• The six major themes of Western metaphysics and the end of the Middle Ages.. Cordier, Berlin 1922 reprint of the 3rd edition: University Press, Darmstadt 1987, ISBN 3-534-00076-5.
• Spruce. Reinhardt, Munich 1923.
• Metaphysics of modern times. Oldenbourg, Munich, Berlin, 1929; 1934th Reprints: Oldenbourg, München 1967.
• Philosophy of history. Bouvier, Bonn 1948.
• Metaphysical presuppositions and drives in Nietzsche's " immorality ". Steiner, Mainz 1955.
• (Ed.): diaper band, Wilhelm: textbook of the history of philosophy. With a final chapter, " Philosophy in the 20th Century" and an overview of the state of the philosophical-historical research. Mohr. 15th edition: Tübingen 1957, ISBN 3-16-838032-6.
• Atom, soul, monad. Historical origins and backgrounds of Kant's antinomy of division. Steiner, Mainz 1960.
• Studies on the history of philosophy. Cologne University Press, Cologne 1961.
• Hegel's philosophy of music. Bouvier, Bonn 1964 ( from Hegel studies. Volume 2, 1963, pp. 162-201 ).
• Transcendental dialectic. A Commentary on Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. 4 volumes. de Gruyter, Berlin 1966-1971.
• Studies on the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Bouvier, Bonn 1961. 2nd edition 1971, ISBN 3-416-00437- X.