Carl Günther Ludovici
Encyclopedia
Carl Günther Ludovici (7 August 1707 in Leipzig
- July 5, 1778 in Leizpig) was a German philosopher, lexicographer and economist.
He edited a large part of the Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon
, a major German
encyclopedia of the 18th century.
, theologian and Orientalist.
His father had him taught by tutors from the age of two. He attended the Thomas school, where he studied with Paul Daniel Longolius
.
In 1724 he began studies in philosophy and theology at the University of Leipzig, where he gained a Masters degree in 1728. In 1733, he became a full professor of practical philosophy at the university.
In 1739, Johann Heinrich Zedler
appointed Ludovici editor of his Grosses Universal-Lexicon (Great Universal Lexicon), and he served until 1754 as chief editor of Volumes 19-64 and the supplement Volumes 1 to 4 of the largest German encyclopedia project of the 18th Century.
In 1761 Ludovici became professor of Aristotelian logic. From 1765 - 1766 Ludovici was Rector of the University of Leipzig and at the same time Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Ludovici was a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences
and the Leipzig Society of economics, the liberal arts and the German language. He was also a member of the College of the principality College, warden of the calendar system and archivist at the University of Leipzig.
and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
He published two extensive articles which sparked heated debate in the learned world.
He received complaints from professors at the University of Halle, but was led into a lively correspondence with other scholars of his time.
As editor, Ludovici introduced several innovations in the Great Universal Lexicon and a significantly increased its quality.
He made the bibliography at the end of each article more complete, made articles much longer and introduced biographies of living people.
His prefaces to the volumes 19, 21, 23 and the first volume of the supplements are important lexicographical sources.
The extensive article on Christian Wolff and the Wolffian philosophy are almost certainly his work.
While editing Zedler's Universal Lexicon, Ludovici made a German translation from the French of the Dictionaire de commerce of Jacques Savary des Brûlons
, which was published as the General Treasure Chamber between 1741-1743.
From this work grew the Open Academy of Merchants, a more complete lexicon of commerce whose five volumes published by Zedler's partner Johann Samuel Heinsius
began to appear in 1752 and were completed in 1756.
It is the first complete German-language trade lexicon, with the last volume providing a systematic plan of this discipline.
The lexicon was used in practice, as shown by the sales to commercial firms.
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
- July 5, 1778 in Leizpig) was a German philosopher, lexicographer and economist.
He edited a large part of the Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon
Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon
The Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon aller Wissenschafften und Künste is a 68-volume German encyclopedia published by Johann Heinrich Zedler between 1731 and 1754...
, a major German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
encyclopedia of the 18th century.
Life
Ludovici was born on 7 August 1707 in Liepzig, son of Christian Ludovici (1697–1724), professor of philosophy at the University of LeipzigUniversity of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, theologian and Orientalist.
His father had him taught by tutors from the age of two. He attended the Thomas school, where he studied with Paul Daniel Longolius
Paul Daniel Longolius
Paul Daniel Longolius was the main editor of volumes 3 through 18 of Johann Heinrich Zedler's Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon from 1733 to 1739, replacing Jacob August Franckenstein, who had edited the first two volumes...
.
In 1724 he began studies in philosophy and theology at the University of Leipzig, where he gained a Masters degree in 1728. In 1733, he became a full professor of practical philosophy at the university.
In 1739, Johann Heinrich Zedler
Johann Heinrich Zedler
Johann Heinrich Zedler was a bookseller and publisher. His most important achievement was the creation of a German encyclopedia, the Grosses Universal-Lexicon ,...
appointed Ludovici editor of his Grosses Universal-Lexicon (Great Universal Lexicon), and he served until 1754 as chief editor of Volumes 19-64 and the supplement Volumes 1 to 4 of the largest German encyclopedia project of the 18th Century.
In 1761 Ludovici became professor of Aristotelian logic. From 1765 - 1766 Ludovici was Rector of the University of Leipzig and at the same time Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Ludovici was a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences
Prussian Academy of Sciences
The Prussian Academy of Sciences was an academy established in Berlin on 11 July 1700, four years after the Akademie der Künste or "Arts Academy", to which "Berlin Academy" may also refer.-Origins:...
and the Leipzig Society of economics, the liberal arts and the German language. He was also a member of the College of the principality College, warden of the calendar system and archivist at the University of Leipzig.
Work
Ludovici's primary work as a professor was the presentation and interpretation of the philosophical teachings of Christian WolffChristian Wolff (philosopher)
Christian Wolff was a German philosopher.He was the most eminent German philosopher between Leibniz and Kant...
and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
He published two extensive articles which sparked heated debate in the learned world.
He received complaints from professors at the University of Halle, but was led into a lively correspondence with other scholars of his time.
As editor, Ludovici introduced several innovations in the Great Universal Lexicon and a significantly increased its quality.
He made the bibliography at the end of each article more complete, made articles much longer and introduced biographies of living people.
His prefaces to the volumes 19, 21, 23 and the first volume of the supplements are important lexicographical sources.
The extensive article on Christian Wolff and the Wolffian philosophy are almost certainly his work.
While editing Zedler's Universal Lexicon, Ludovici made a German translation from the French of the Dictionaire de commerce of Jacques Savary des Brûlons
Jacques Savary des Brûlons
Jacques Savary des Brûlons was the French Inspector General of the Manufactures for the King at the Paris Customs in the 18th century, and a lexicographer who wrote the Dictionnaire universel de commerce....
, which was published as the General Treasure Chamber between 1741-1743.
From this work grew the Open Academy of Merchants, a more complete lexicon of commerce whose five volumes published by Zedler's partner Johann Samuel Heinsius
Johann Samuel Heinsius
Johann Samuel Heinsius was a German bookseller and publisher based in Leipsig, best known for the works he published in collaboration with Johann Heinrich Zedler.Heinsius founded his firm, also named Heinsius, in Leipzig in 1725....
began to appear in 1752 and were completed in 1756.
It is the first complete German-language trade lexicon, with the last volume providing a systematic plan of this discipline.
The lexicon was used in practice, as shown by the sales to commercial firms.