Johan Vilhelm Snellman

Johan Vilhelm Snellman ( born May 12, 1806 Stockholm, † July 4, 1881 in Kirkkonummi ) was a Finnish philosopher, journalist and statesman. When standing in the tradition of Hegel thinkers and dedicated journalist, he played a major role in the development of a Finnish national consciousness, as the expression of the Finnish language learned a new appreciation. As a member of the Finnish Senate he reached the monetary independence of Finland and achieved a breakthrough on the road to recognition of Finnish as an official language.

  • 2.1 philosopher
  • 2.2 journalist
  • 2.3 Statesman

Life

Youth and studies

Johan Vilhelm Snellman was born on 12 May 1806 Stockholm, the son of originating from the West Finnish Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia sea captain Christian Henrik Snellman. When Finland fell to Russia in 1809, the family decided to return to their homeland and settled in 1813 in the Swedish-speaking Kokkola. From 1816 JV Snellman attended the public school in the Finnish-speaking Oulu. Here learned Snellman, whose mother tongue was Swedish, the Finnish language. In 1822 he began his studies at the Imperial Academy of Turku, which was moved after the fire of Turku from 1827 to Helsinki.

At the Academy Snellman first studied theology, philosophy and later history, Greek, Latin and literature. About his teacher Adolf Ivar Arwidsson and Johan Jacob Tengström the young Snellman came into contact with the philosophy of Hegel, which he soon made ​​it the basis of his own philosophy, but independently evolved.

During his studies Snellman came into close contact with a group of students whose members should include later the most influential promoters of the Finnish culture. Members of this society as Saturday ( lauantaiseura ) designating group were among other Runeberg, Zacharias Topelius, Johan Jakob Ander nerve and Fredrik Cygnaeus.

Uncomfortable thinkers

In 1831, Snellman completed his studies in philosophy and introduced his 1835 dissertation on the philosophy of Hegel finished. In the following years he worked as a lecturer at the University of Helsinki, but fell because of its emphasis on academic freedoms repeatedly under pressure. In 1839, Snellman lost his teaching position after he had refused to take on the instructions of the university administration, the Office of the curator in the student body of Nordpohjanmaa. Snellman argued that students must be able to choose their own curator.

After retiring from the service of the University of Tübingen in Germany Snellman traveled to, where he met with the students of the ten years before the late Hegel, in particular with Jakob Friedrich Reiff, who attempted a synthesis of old and Young Hegelianism in his early philosophy, and David Friedrich Strauss, who just with his work The Life of Jesus, critically examined had caused a considerable stir. Snell Mans authored here German -language works attempt a speculative development of the idea of personality, in which he did not reject the theses Strauss, to the dismay of conservative circles, brought him in Sweden and in the home country a reputation as a dangerous radical.

In the autumn of 1841 Snellman went to Stockholm, where he wrote in 1842 his main work Theory of the State ( Läran om Staten ), which was allowed to be published in Finland and with 442 units sold until July 1843 made ​​a considerable sales success. One of the main theses of the work was that Finland had to earn a place in the midst of the nations through the development of their own language and culture. For Snellman the establishment of a Finnish national consciousness was the only way of averting a Russification.

After his return to Finland in 1842 Snellman found that his reputation acquired by his writings made ​​virtually impossible for him a position in the desired positions in the capital. Finally, he accepted the position of rector of the elementary school in Kuopio, which he held until 1849. During this time he devoted himself intensively to promote the Finnish cultural and political development through the publication of various newspapers in Swedish and Finnish. Then he returned to Helsinki and worked, after an academic post again had proved unattainable, until 1856 as a clerk.

Professor and statesman

With the accession of Tsar Alexander II in 1855, the environment for the activity Snell Mans relaxed noticeably. In addition, the teachings Snell Mans for weakened as a result of the lost Crimean War Russian rulers were given a new meaning. Particularly in view of the stronger Scandinavianism had the Tsar feared that Finland again strengthened Sweden turns and a detachment aims of the Tsar Empire. The highlighting of the Finnish nation and language was now a welcome means to avert this danger. 1856 Snellman was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the University of Helsinki without a formal application process.

As a professor Snellman emphasized the freedom of scientific conviction and civil education, but at the same time had a moderating effect on his students. He earned during this time the confidence of Alexander II and eventually became a member of the Finnish Senate in 1863, the then government of the country, ordered. He took over the post of chairman of the Finance Committee, a position comparable to today's finance minister. In recognition of his services rose Alexander II Snellman 1866 in the peerage. Two years later retired from Snellman from the Senate after he had fallen out as a result of a dispute about questions of detail of the construction of the railway line to St. Petersburg Governor-General Nikolai Eagle Mountain.

After retiring from the Senate Snellman was still active in various economic and political offices and was from 1870 to 1874 Chairman of the Finnish Literature Society. Johan Vilhelm Snellman died on July 4, 1881 at his country estate in Kirkkonummi.

Services

Philosopher

Johan Vilhelm Snellman As a philosopher, stood firmly on the ground idealism of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, starting from which he developed his own political and social philosophy. Already in his Latin dissertation Academic dissertation for the defense of absolutism of Hegel's system ( Dissertatio Academica absolutismum systematis Hegeliani defensura ) he rejected the one hand, against Hegel attacks directed and taught the other hand, the focus on the concept of personality.

This approach, he immersed in his work attempting a speculative development of the idea of personality. The writing was developed in the field of tension between the heirs of Hegel newly created divisions between the so-called Young Hegelians and the Old Hegelians. She was particularly associated with the arguments put forward by David Friedrich Strauss critique of the historical person of Jesus and the sensations triggered by the storm of indignation among conservative Hegelians. Snellman did not reject the theses defended by Strauss. God exists only in people who exceeded the limits of their individuality, customs of her people annähmen and promoted for the benefit of the nation. The idea of an immortal soul held Snellman for vain and selfish. Strauss and the Young Hegelians criticized Snellman but that they do not zumäßen due importance of specific personality.

These thoughts were in a more concrete way their continuation in Snell Mans major work Theory of the State, a company philosophical work with a sociological approach. Following Hegel's Philosophy of Right, the work is divided into the sections of family, society and state. The family serves the ethical education of children and the transmission of national educational heritage to the next generation. In bourgeois society, man subdue the understood as rational laws, while the man should be freed in the state as the highest form of development from the constraints of law observance, his behavior instead of patriotic loyalty will led to the distinctive culture of the nation.

The concepts of nation and national consciousness are central to the philosophy Snell Mans. The people acquires its nationality as a result of a historical process through development of the spirit, culture and education. For an independent nationality only a people with a distinct culture is capable of. This assumes the existence of a common language as a form of expression ahead of national education. Language is not only a tool for the formulation of thoughts, but the national mindset is structurally created in the common language.

Journalist

The achievement of a Finnish national consciousness and a national culture sought Snellman in particular through the publication of newspapers to promote. During his time as a school principal in Kuopio Snellman began in January 1844 with the publication of the weekly newspaper Saima, which became the first cultural-political magazine with remarkable influence on the Finnish cultural life. She appeared in the Swedish language and aimed at an educated readership. Content in the leaf treated news, announcements, but also poems and stories, travel reports and literature reviews. The teachings Snell Mans got here a more popular, more accessible to the wider public expression.

The Saima reached a comparatively wide audience. With a circulation of about 700 it was one of the four largest circulation leaves the country. Although in the Saima no current political events have commented that powerfully formulated products showed a liberal- liberal line, and raised soon the attention of the Russian Governor General Menshikov, at whose command the license for the Saima was finally revoked the end of 1846.

In addition to the Swedish-speaking Saima Snellman was at the founding of the Finnish-speaking sheet Maamiehen Ystävä ( " The friend of the farmer " ) involved and its editor from 1843 to 1844. Unlike the Saima the Maamiehen Ystävä focused on providing practical advice and basic education for the agricultural community. The sheet was an even bigger audience than the Saima.

Immediately after the ban of Snellman Saima prepared under the name of his friend Elias Lönnrot a new publication before. As of May 1847, the magazine Litteraturblad promote allmän medborgerlig bildning appeared monthly ( " literature sheet for general mitbürgerliche Education" ), in its detailed articles, especially current issues in science and literature were treated. Even the literary magazine reported a significant circulation of about 400 Snellman was the leadership of the sheet from 1849 due to his relocation to Helsinki, but it took over again in 1855. He devoted himself thematically reinforced the modernization of the Finnish economy. At the same time he turned against anti-Russian tendencies and considered that the Finnish people could only through education, but do not reach a more independent role government by force.

Statesman

After his appointment to the Senate in 1863, Snellman was responsible for the state budget as chairman of the Finance Committee. He was confronted in this office with considerable problems, since in his tenure, some devastating crop losses. Nevertheless, he managed to fund important infrastructure for the Finnish railway line to St. Petersburg.

The most politically significant economic power Snell Mans was the enforcement of a radical monetary reform. Already in 1860 the Finnish Mark was introduced as a means of payment. However, this innovation was initially purely nominal nature, as the Russian paper money, which was subjected to over the silver ruble considerable fluctuations, remained legal tender. Snellman made ​​in 1864 when the Russian government authorities persistent persuasion, as a consequence of Tsar Alexander II on November 4, 1865 signed the so-called currency manifesto. The silver cord was declared the only legal tender in the Grand Duchy of Finland. It is true that the silver ruble remained valid, but the unstable Russian paper money had no longer be accepted. The Finnish currency was placed under the operating under the supervision of the Finnish Finnish bank stands. Thus Finland had gained monetary independence.

The second far-reaching power of Senator Snellman is related to the language policy. According to Snell Mans political philosophy, the development of the Finnish people to the nation could only be carried out by the Finnish language. At Snell Mans tenure but Swedish was the only official and cultural language of Finland. The Senate showed little tendency to this state to change anything. So Snellman decided after his appointment as senator to refer the case, bypassing the Senate to the Tsar personally. He managed to arrange an audience during a visit of Alexander in Hämeenlinna, Finland, and on 1 August 1863, the Tsar signed actually the proposed language decree which ordered the introduction of the Finnish as an official language within a transitional period of 20 years.

Importance for posterity

Johan Vilhelm Snellman has become, thanks to his political philosophy and his statesmanlike services for the symbolic figure of the Finnish national movement. He is considered by many Finns as a pioneer of Finnish independence, even though he has himself never explicitly sought statehood.

In 1906, the centenary anniversary for Snell Mans changed some 100,000 Finns her Swedish-language surnames ostentatiously in a Finnish-language equivalent. In the continuing battle for the Finnish language as a university teacher in 1928, all Finnish-speaking student bodies gathered around the designed by Emil Wikström and Eliel Saarinen statue Snell Mans, which in 1924 before the Finnish bank building ( Suomen Pankki ) was unveiled in Helsinki. As "Father of Finnish Mark " was Snellman in 1940, the first historical person who has been mapped to a Finnish bank note, the former 5,000 - mark note.

The Birthday Johan Vilhelm Snell Mans May 12th, is celebrated in Finland since independence as the "Day of Finnishness " ( Suomalaisuuden päivä ) to which the Finnish flags are hoisted nationwide. The year 2006, in which Snell Mans Birthday jährte the 200th was committed as Snellman hard year with numerous events across the country.

Writings

The work of J. V. Snell Mans comprises a total of well over ten thousand printed pages. The following is a selection of his most important writings:

  • Dissertatio Academica absolutismum systematis Hegeliani defensura. ( Academic dissertation for the defense of absolutism of Hegel's system ). Helsinki 1835.
  • Försök till framställning af logics. ( Attempt at a representation of the logic). Helsinki 1837.
  • Philosophisk elementary course. ( Philosophical elementary course, three volumes ). Stockholm 1837-1840.
  • Attempt a speculative development of Idée of personality. Tübingen 1841.
  • Läran om staten ( political science ). Stockholm 1842.
  • England. Skildringar och från en resa omdömen 1840-1841. ( Germany. descriptions and assessments of a journey from 1840 to 1841 ). Stockholm 1842.
  • De spirit ad materiam relatione. ( On the relationship of mind to matter ). Helsinki 1848.

The entire work Snell Mans in 1998 in a 24 -volume complete edition Samlade arbeten in publishing Edita Publishing Oy, Helsinki, appeared. In the same publisher released in 2005 a complete Finnish-language translation of the complete edition Kootut teokset.

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