Ernst Kapp
Encyclopedia
Ernst Kapp was a German philosopher of technology and geographer, he was also a follower of Carl Ritter
.
He was prosecuted for sedition in the late 1840's for publishing a small article entitled 'Der konstituiert Despotismus und die konstitutionelle Freiheit' (1849) and was subsequently forced to leave Germany
. He then emigrated to the German pioneer settlements of central Texas
where he worked as a farmer, geographer and inventor.
He was one of the early German Free Thinkers
in Sisterdale, Texas
. In 1853, he was elected the President of the Freethinker abolitionist organization Die Freie Verein (The Free Society), which called for a meeting of abolitionist German Texans
in conjunction with the May 14, 1854 Staats-Saengerfest
(State Singing Festival) in San Antonio, Texas
. The convention adopted a political, social and religious platform, including:
After the Civil War he would return to Germany for a visit but became sick on the voyage and was urged by his physician not to risk the return trip at his age, which then caused him to re-enter to the academic world.
Reflecting on his frontier experience Kapp wrote "Grundlinien einer Philosophie der Technik" (Principles of a philosophy of technology) (1877). The book among many things formulates a philosophy of technology in which tools and weapons are identified as different forms of 'organ projections', although this idea may have been loosely covered as early as Aristotle
. Furthermore in chapters 12 & 13 it notably analyses language and the state as extensions of mental life, long before such ideas were popularised by Marshall McLuhan
.
Carl Ritter
Carl Ritter was a German geographer. Along with Alexander von Humboldt, he is considered one of the founders of modern geography. From 1825 until his death, he occupied the first chair in geography at the University of Berlin.-Biography:Ritter was born in Quedlinburg, one of the six children of a...
.
He was prosecuted for sedition in the late 1840's for publishing a small article entitled 'Der konstituiert Despotismus und die konstitutionelle Freiheit' (1849) and was subsequently forced to leave Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He then emigrated to the German pioneer settlements of central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
where he worked as a farmer, geographer and inventor.
He was one of the early German Free Thinkers
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
in Sisterdale, Texas
Sisterdale, Texas
Sisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1847 and located north of Boerne in Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25...
. In 1853, he was elected the President of the Freethinker abolitionist organization Die Freie Verein (The Free Society), which called for a meeting of abolitionist German Texans
in conjunction with the May 14, 1854 Staats-Saengerfest
Saengerfest
Saengerfest, also Sängerbund-Fest, Sängerfeste, or Sängerfest, meaning singer festival, is a competition of Sängerbunds, or singer groups, with prizes for the best group or groups. Participants number in the hundreds and thousands, and the fest is usually accompanied by a parade and other...
(State Singing Festival) in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. The convention adopted a political, social and religious platform, including:
1) Equal pay for equal work; 2) Direct election of the President of the United States; 3) Abolition of capital punishment; 4) Slavery is an evil, the abolition of which is a requirement of democratic principles...; 5) Free schools – including universities - supported by the state, without religious influence; and 6) Total separation of church and state.
After the Civil War he would return to Germany for a visit but became sick on the voyage and was urged by his physician not to risk the return trip at his age, which then caused him to re-enter to the academic world.
Reflecting on his frontier experience Kapp wrote "Grundlinien einer Philosophie der Technik" (Principles of a philosophy of technology) (1877). The book among many things formulates a philosophy of technology in which tools and weapons are identified as different forms of 'organ projections', although this idea may have been loosely covered as early as Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
. Furthermore in chapters 12 & 13 it notably analyses language and the state as extensions of mental life, long before such ideas were popularised by Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
.