German philosophy

Lore & Background

Medieval German philosophy began with Christian philosophy. The first philosophical controversy on German soil occurred in 848 when Rabanus Maurus responded to Gottschalk of Orbais' doctrine of double predestination. Rabanus, a deacon at the Benedictine Abbey of Fulda in Hesse, has been called 'the first teacher of Germany.' Other centers included St. Emmeram's in Regensburg, where Otloh of Sankt Emmeram and Manegold of Lautenbach were defenders of anti-philosophy. By the twelfth century, all monks at St. Emmeram's were said to be illiterate. Notker Labeo translated Boethius, Capella, and some Aristotle, inventing the first German philosophical vocabulary. Hugh of Saint Victor wrote on Neoplatonic mystical philosophy, and Otto of Freising introduced the new, complete logic of Aristotle. Hildegard von Bingen, a Neoplatonist nun and polymath, wrote on theology, cosmology, and natural philosophy. Albertus Magnus, the most eminent German Scholastic, taught at Paris and Cologne and influenced Theodoric of Freiberg. Meister Eckhart was an influential Neoplatonic mystic at Cologne, posthumously condemned for heresy but acquitted. Thomas of Erfurt was the most influential of the Aristotelian modistae, who opposed nominalism and argued for realism. During the German Renaissance, Nicholas of Cusa was influenced by negative theology and believed in the coincidentia oppositorum, denying the law of non-contradiction. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, marking the start of the Gutenberg Revolution. Desiderius Erasmus was a scholar of medieval Christianity and a skeptic. Martin Luther started the Reformation, and his translation of the Bible into German made it more accessible. Luther is considered one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history.

Reader's Guide

German philosophy has been central to the development of Western thought, influencing both the analytic and continental traditions. Figures such as Martin Heidegger and Ludwig Wittgenstein are considered two of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. The tradition spans from medieval Christian philosophy through the Renaissance and Reformation, with key contributions from Albertus Magnus, Meister Eckhart, and Nicholas of Cusa. The Reformation, led by Martin Luther, had a profound impact on German culture and philosophy. German philosophers have been central to major movements including rationalism, German idealism, Romanticism, dialectical materialism, existentialism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, logical positivism, and critical theory. The legacy of German philosophy continues to shape contemporary philosophical debates, with most German universities studying continental philosophy. The tradition's emphasis on systematic thought, critique of reason, and engagement with history and culture has made it a cornerstone of modern intellectual history.

Did You Know?

• The first philosophical controversy on German soil happened in 848, when Rabanus Maurus responded to Gottschalk of Orbais' doctrine of double predestination.
• Notker Labeo translated Roman Neoplatonist Boethius and some Aristotle, inventing the first German philosophical vocabulary.
• Meister Eckhart was an influential Neoplatonic mystic at Cologne, posthumously condemned for heresy but acquitted.
• Martin Luther's translation of the Bible into German made it vastly more accessible to the laity.