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conceptc. 1780–1840

German Idealism

Disciplines:
philosophy
epistemology
metaphysics

Summary

German Idealism was a philosophical movement that emerged in the late 18th century, emphasizing the role of the mind in shaping our understanding of reality and knowledge.

Core Contribution

German Idealism introduced the concept of the absolute, emphasizing the unity and interconnectedness of all things, and developed the idea of the dialectical process, where opposing forces are reconciled to form a higher level of understanding.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • Reconciliation of opposites (The German Idealists believed that opposing forces could be reconciled to form a higher level of understanding, as seen in the dialectical process.)
  • Emphasis on the absolute (German Idealism introduced the concept of the absolute, emphasizing the unity and interconnectedness of all things, as seen in the works of Hegel and Schelling.)
  • Critique of empiricism (The German Idealists critiqued empiricism, arguing that knowledge cannot be derived solely from sense experience, but rather from the active role of the mind in shaping our understanding of reality.)

Historical Influences

Immanuel Kant Johann Gottlieb Fichte Friedrich Schelling

Intellectual Lineage

Rationalism Kantian Philosophy Romanticism

Allied Works

Critique of Pure Reason The Science of KnowledgeThe World as Will and Representation

Contemporaries & Peers

Romanticism Utilitarianism Positivism

Minds Influenced

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Arthur Schopenhauer Friedrich Nietzsche

Intellectual Posterity

Existentialism Phenomenology Hermeneutics

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German Idealism

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