Friedrich Albert Lange
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Albert Lange was a German
philosopher and sociologist.
, the son of the theologian
, Johann Peter Lange
. He was educated at Duisburg
, Zürich
and Bonn
, where he distinguished himself in gymnastics
as much as academically. In 1852 he became a schoolmaster
at Cologne
; in 1853 Privatdozent
in philosophy at Bonn; and in 1858 schoolmaster at Duisburg, resigning when the government forbade schoolmasters to take part in political activities.
Lange entered journalism
as editor of the Rhein- und Ruhr-Zeitung in 1862 in the cause of political and social reform. His ceterum censeo can be considered to be the repeated demand for Bismarck
's resignation. He was prominent in public affairs, yet found enough time to write most of his best-known books, Die Leibesübungen (1863), Die Arbeiterfrage (1865, 5th ed. 1894), Geschichte des Materialismus
(1866), and John Stuart Mill
s Ansichten über die soziale Frage (1866). He also wrote a number of works on pedagogy and psychology. In 1863, Lange supported the socialist leader Ferdinand Lassalle
in an important trial concerning the constitutional guarantee of academic freedom. From 1864 to 1866, Lange was a member of the executive committee of the Association of German Labour Unions (Verband Deutscher Arbeitervereine), an early organisation of the German labour movement. One of his colleagues there was August Bebel
, the Social-Democratic
leader.
In 1866, discouraged by affairs in Germany, he moved to Winterthur
, near Zürich
, to become connected with the democratic newspaper, Winterthurer Landbote. In 1869 he was Privatdozent
at Zürich, and the next year he was appointed professor of inductive philosophy, a new position. He was also engaged in the Swiss Democratic movement and helped write the constitution of the Canton of Zurich. This was distinguished by the use of “direct democratic” measures such as referendum and recall. Still in Zürich he recognized first signs of his illness, which lead several year later to his death. The strong French sympathies of the Swiss in the Franco-Prussian War
as well as the prospect for a pension for his wife in the case of his death led to his speedy resignation. He had an offer from the universities of Würzburg, Königsberg, Kiel, Gießen and Jena, but in 1872 he accepted a professorship at the University of Marburg. He is sometimes credited with founding the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism
, along with his star pupil, Hermann Cohen
. It was Cohen, however, who pioneered the Marburg School's characteristic logicist interpretation of Kantian philosophy. In later years, Lange accepted Cohen's refutation of a psychological interpretation of the a priori, to which he himself had once subscribed.
Although he rejected Marxist
materialism, Lange continued to influence the German Social-Democratic movement. He favoured an ethically motivated, reformist socialism. He especially influenced some leaders of the Lassallean General German Workers' Union
and, posthumously, the Revisionist
theoretician Eduard Bernstein
, whose slogan "Kant, not cant" proclaimed his abandonment of Marxian 'scientific socialism' in favour of a Neo-Kantian, ethically based social reformism. Subsequent leaders of the Marburg School, such as Cohen and Natorp
, continued this association with the reformist wing of the SPD. Unhappily, his body was already stricken with disease. He no longer played a role in the unification of the Lassalleans with Bebel's socialists into the unified SPD in May 1975. After a lingering illness, probably gastro-intestinal cancer, he died in Marburg in November of that year. His Logische Studien (Logical Studies) were published by Hermann Cohen in 1877. Lange also wrote a number of literary studies which were published posthumously. His main work, the Geschichte des Materialismus is a didactic exposition of principles rather than a history in the proper sense. According to Lange, to think clearly about materialism
is to refute it.
There is a comprehensive school named after him, the Friedrich-Albert-Lange-Gesamtschule, in Wald, his birthplace, which is now part of the city of Solingen
.
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...
philosopher and sociologist.
Biography
Lange was born in Wald, near SolingenSolingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, the son of the theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, Johann Peter Lange
Johann Peter Lange
Johann Peter Lange , was a German Calvinist theologian of peasant origin.-Biography:...
. He was educated at Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, where he distinguished himself in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
as much as academically. In 1852 he became a schoolmaster
Schoolmaster
A schoolmaster, or simply master, once referred to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.The teacher in charge of a school is the headmaster...
at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
; in 1853 Privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
in philosophy at Bonn; and in 1858 schoolmaster at Duisburg, resigning when the government forbade schoolmasters to take part in political activities.
Lange entered journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
as editor of the Rhein- und Ruhr-Zeitung in 1862 in the cause of political and social reform. His ceterum censeo can be considered to be the repeated demand for Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
's resignation. He was prominent in public affairs, yet found enough time to write most of his best-known books, Die Leibesübungen (1863), Die Arbeiterfrage (1865, 5th ed. 1894), Geschichte des Materialismus
Geschichte des Materialismus
Geschichte des Materialismus und Kritik seiner Bedeutung in der Gegenwart is a philosophical work by Friedrich Albert Lange, originally written in German and published in October 1865 . Lange vastly extended the second edition published in two volumes in 1873–75...
(1866), and John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
s Ansichten über die soziale Frage (1866). He also wrote a number of works on pedagogy and psychology. In 1863, Lange supported the socialist leader Ferdinand Lassalle
Ferdinand Lassalle
Ferdinand Lassalle was a German-Jewish jurist and socialist political activist.-Early life:Ferdinand Lassalle was born on 11 April 1825 in Breslau , Silesia to a prosperous Jewish family descending from Upper Silesian Loslau...
in an important trial concerning the constitutional guarantee of academic freedom. From 1864 to 1866, Lange was a member of the executive committee of the Association of German Labour Unions (Verband Deutscher Arbeitervereine), an early organisation of the German labour movement. One of his colleagues there was August Bebel
August Bebel
Ferdinand August Bebel was a German Marxist politician, writer, and orator. He is best remembered as one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.-Early years:...
, the Social-Democratic
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
leader.
In 1866, discouraged by affairs in Germany, he moved to Winterthur
Winterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
, near Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, to become connected with the democratic newspaper, Winterthurer Landbote. In 1869 he was Privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
at Zürich, and the next year he was appointed professor of inductive philosophy, a new position. He was also engaged in the Swiss Democratic movement and helped write the constitution of the Canton of Zurich. This was distinguished by the use of “direct democratic” measures such as referendum and recall. Still in Zürich he recognized first signs of his illness, which lead several year later to his death. The strong French sympathies of the Swiss in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
as well as the prospect for a pension for his wife in the case of his death led to his speedy resignation. He had an offer from the universities of Würzburg, Königsberg, Kiel, Gießen and Jena, but in 1872 he accepted a professorship at the University of Marburg. He is sometimes credited with founding the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism
Neo-Kantianism
Neo-Kantianism refers broadly to a revived type of philosophy along the lines of that laid down by Immanuel Kant in the 18th century, or more specifically by Schopenhauer's criticism of the Kantian philosophy in his work The World as Will and Representation , as well as by other post-Kantian...
, along with his star pupil, Hermann Cohen
Hermann Cohen
Hermann Cohen was a German-Jewish philosopher, one of the founders of the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism, and he is often held to be "probably the most important Jewish philosopher of the nineteenth century".-Life:...
. It was Cohen, however, who pioneered the Marburg School's characteristic logicist interpretation of Kantian philosophy. In later years, Lange accepted Cohen's refutation of a psychological interpretation of the a priori, to which he himself had once subscribed.
Although he rejected Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
materialism, Lange continued to influence the German Social-Democratic movement. He favoured an ethically motivated, reformist socialism. He especially influenced some leaders of the Lassallean General German Workers' Union
General German Workers' Association
The General German Workers' Association, in German Allgemeiner Deutscher Arbeiterverein, ADAV) was founded on 23 May 1863 in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony by Ferdinand Lassalle and existed under this name until 1875, when it combined with August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht's SDAP to form the...
and, posthumously, the Revisionist
Revisionism (Marxism)
Within the Marxist movement, the word revisionism is used to refer to various ideas, principles and theories that are based on a significant revision of fundamental Marxist premises. The term is most often used by those Marxists who believe that such revisions are unwarranted and represent a...
theoretician Eduard Bernstein
Eduard Bernstein
Eduard Bernstein was a German social democratic theoretician and politician, a member of the SPD, and the founder of evolutionary socialism and revisionism.- Life :...
, whose slogan "Kant, not cant" proclaimed his abandonment of Marxian 'scientific socialism' in favour of a Neo-Kantian, ethically based social reformism. Subsequent leaders of the Marburg School, such as Cohen and Natorp
Paul Natorp
Paul Gerhard Natorp was a German philosopher and educationalist, considered one of the co-founders of the Marburg school of neo-Kantianism. He was known as an authority on Plato....
, continued this association with the reformist wing of the SPD. Unhappily, his body was already stricken with disease. He no longer played a role in the unification of the Lassalleans with Bebel's socialists into the unified SPD in May 1975. After a lingering illness, probably gastro-intestinal cancer, he died in Marburg in November of that year. His Logische Studien (Logical Studies) were published by Hermann Cohen in 1877. Lange also wrote a number of literary studies which were published posthumously. His main work, the Geschichte des Materialismus is a didactic exposition of principles rather than a history in the proper sense. According to Lange, to think clearly about materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
is to refute it.
There is a comprehensive school named after him, the Friedrich-Albert-Lange-Gesamtschule, in Wald, his birthplace, which is now part of the city of Solingen
Solingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
.
Works
A comprehensive bibliography of Lange's own works, as well as some of the secondary literature, can be found online at: http://philpapers.org/sep/friedrich-lange/.- 1855: Über den Zusammenhang der Erziehungssysteme mit den herrschenden Weltanschauungen verschiedener Zeitalter. (On the Connection Between the Educational Systems with the Dominant World Views of Different Eras.)
- 1862: Die Stellung der Schule zum öffentlichen Leben. (The Position of the School in Relation to Public Life.)
- 1863: Die Leibesübungen. Eine Darstellung des Werdens und Wesens der Turnkunst in ihrer pädagogischen und culturhistorischen Bedeutung. (Physical Exercise: A Presentation of the History and Essence of Gymnastics in its Pedagogical and Cultural-Historical Significance.)
- 1865: Die Arbeiterfrage in ihrer Bedeutung für Gegenwart und Zukunft. (The Labour Question in its CPresent and Future Significance.)
- 1865: Die Grundlegung der mathematischen Psychologie. Ein Versuch zur Nachweisung des fundamentalen Fehlers bei HerbartJohann Friedrich HerbartJohann Friedrich Herbart was a German philosopher, psychologist, and founder of pedagogy as an academic discipline....
und DrobischMoritz Wilhelm DrobischMoritz Wilhelm Drobisch was a German mathematician, logician, psychologist and philosopher. His brother was the composer Karl Ludwig Drobisch .-Life:...
. (Foundations of Mathematical Psychology. Attempt at a Demonstration of the Fundamental Error of Herbart and Drobisch.) - 1866: Geschichte des Materialismus und Kritik seiner Bedeutung in der Gegenwart. (History of Materialism and Critique of its Present Significance.)
- 1877: Logische Studien. Ein Beitrag zur Neubegründung der formalen Logik und der Erkenntnisstheorie. (Logical Studies. A Contribution to the New Foundation of Formal Logic and Cognitive Theory.)
Literature
- Bleuler-Hausheer, Salomon (1876), Friedrich Albert Lange. Eine biographische Skizze und Erinnerungen an die Verfassungsrevision, in: Der Landbote und Tagblatt der Stadt Winterthur, No. 2, 2. Januar 1876 bis No. 11, 13. Januar 1876
- Berdiajew, Nikolai, Friedrich Albert Lange und die kritische Philosophie in ihren Beziehungen zum Sozialismus, in: Die Neue Zeit, 18. Jg., (1900), 2. Bd., S. 132-140, S. 164-174, S. 196-207
- Bernstein, Eduart, Zur Würdigung Friedrich Albert Langes, in: Die Neue Zeit. Revue des geistigen und öffentlichen Lebens, 6. Jg., (1892), 2. Bd., S. 68-78, 101-109, 132-141
- Braun, Heinrich (1881), Friedrich Albert Lange als Sozialökonom nach seinem Leben und seinen Schriften, Diss. Universität Halle a.d.Saale
- Cohen, Hermann, Friedrich Albert Lange, in: Treitschke, H.v./Wehrenpfennig, W. (Hrsg.), Preußische Jahrbücher, 37. Band, (1876), 4. Heft, S. 353-381
- Georg Eckert, Friedrich Albert Lange (1828-1875) und die Social-Demokratie in Duisburg; in: Duisburger Forschungen 8 (1965), 1-23
- ders., Friedrich Albert Lange. Über Politik und Philosophie. Briefe und Leitartikel 1862-1875; (=Duisburger Forschungen Beiheft 10); Duisburg 1968
- Elissen, Otto A. (1894), Friedrich Albert Lange. Eine Lebensbeschreibung, Leipzig
- Fischer, Heinz-Dietrich, F.A. Lange als politischer Publizist; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 145-173
- Freimuth, Frank (1993), Wie kultiviere ich die Freiheit bei dem Zwange? Das Bildungsverständnis Friedrich Albert Langes, Pfaffenweiler
- Grab, Walter, F.A. Langes Zeitung »Der Bote vom Niederrhein« und die Kontinuität demokratischer Strömungen in Deutschland; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 83-91
- Gross, Andreas / Klages, Andreas (1996), Die Volksinitiative in den Kantonen am Beispiel des Kantons Zürich, in: Auer, A. (Hrsg.), Les origines de la démocratie directe en Suisse / Die Ursprünge der schweizerischen direkten Demokratie. Actes du Colloque organisé les 27-29 avril 1995 par la Faculté de droit et le C2D, Bern, S. 267-281
- Guggenbühl, Gottfried (1936), Der Landbote 1836-1936. Hundert Jahre Politik im Spiegel der Presse, Winterthur
- Gundlach, Franz (1928), Catalogus Professorumm Academiae Marburgensis. Die akademischen Lehrer der Philipps-Universität Marburg. Von 1527-1910, S. 298.
- Heid, Ludger, F.A. Lange und der Preußische Verfassungskonflikt; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 56-70
- ders., Biographische Daten zu F.A. Lange; a.a.O., 268-270
- Heinemann, Gustav (1978), Friedrich Albert Lange - Der Vorrang der politischen vor der sozialen, in: Dirks, Walter/ Kogon, Eugen (Hrsg.), Frankfurter Hefte. Zeitschrift für Kultur und Politik, 33. Jg., Heft 2, Februar, S. 27-33.
- Hirsch, Helmut, F.A. Lange und die USA im Zeitpunkt des amerikanischen Sezessionskrieges; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 92-107
- Holzhey, Helmut, Philosophische Kritik. Zum Verhältnis von Erkenntnistheorie und Sozialphilosophie bei F.A. Lange; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 207-225
- Irmer, Peter, F.A. Lange – ein politischer Agitator in der deutschen Arbeiterbewegung; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 1-19
- Jacobsen, Bjarne (1989), Max Weber und Friedrich Albert Lange. Rezeption und Innovation, Wiesbaden (with references)
- Knoll, Joachim H., F.A. Lange - eine »merkwürdige Randfigur« in der Pädagogik des 19. Jahrhunderts; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 108-132
- Ley, Hermann, F.A. Langes „Geschichte des Materialismus“; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 174-187
- Majert, Regina, Friedrich Albert Lange als Präses des Vorstandes der gewerblichen Sonntagsschule in Duisburg (1860-1865); in: Duisburger Forschungen 23 (1976), 238-248
- Na’aman, Shlomo, F.A. Lange in der deutschen Arbeiterbewegung; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 20-55
- Plump, Klaus, Der Nachlaß F.A. Langes im Stadtarchiv Duisburg; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 236-267
- ders. (1975), Versuch einer Bibliographie der von Friedrich Albert Lange publizierten Schriften; in: Knoll, Joachim/ Schoeps, Uulius (Hrsg.), Friedrich Albert Lange. Leben und Werk, Duisburg, S. 236-265
- Reichesberg, Naum (1892), Friedrich Albert Lange als Sozialökonom, Dissertation Universität Bern
- Sass, Hans-Martin, Der Standpunkt des Ideals als kritische Überwindung materialistischer und idealistischer Metaphysik; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 188-206
- Sattler, Martin, F.A. Lange - »Socialkonservativer« oder »Socialrevolutionär«; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 71-82
- Schoeps, Julius H., F.A. Lange und die deutsche Turnbewegung; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 133-145
- Schulz, Eberhard Günter (1991), Friedrich Albert Lange und die katholische Philosophie, Bochum
- Stack, Georg J. (1983), Nietzsche and Lange, Berlin, New York
- Vaihinger, Hans (1876), Hartmann, Dürig und Lange. Zur Geschichte der deutschen Philosophie im 19. Jahrhundert, Iserlohn
- Weyer, Adam, Religion und Sozialismus bei F.A. Lange; in: Duisburger Forschungen 21 (1975), 226-235
- Wolff, Georg (1925), Friedrich Albert Langes sozialpolitische Anschauungen und seine Stellung zu Sozialismus und Sozialreform, Dissertation Universität Gießen
- Zinnel, Jürgen (2000), Friedrich Albert Langes Überlegungen zur direkten Demokratie unter Berücksichtigung zeitgenössischer Diskussionszusammenhänge, Marburg
External links
- Friedrich Albert Lange entry at the Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyThe Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a freely-accessible online encyclopedia of philosophy maintained by Stanford University. Each entry is written and maintained by an expert in the field, including professors from over 65 academic institutions worldwide...
, by Nadeem J. Z. Hussain - Biography and text of Geschichte des Materialismus at Zeno.org
- History of Materialism, Vol. I (English)