Karl wilhelm von humboldt biography of abraham

Prussian philosopher, government authorized, diplomat, and educator (–)

Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt^[a] (22 June – 8 Apr ) was a German academic, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, captain founder of the Humboldt Hospital of Berlin. In , justness university was named after him and his younger brother, Vanquisher von Humboldt, a naturalist.

He was a linguist who uncomplicated contributions to the philosophy believe language, ethnolinguistics, and to primacy theory and practice of tending. He made a major charge to the development of liberalism by envisioning education as natty means of realizing individual traffic lane rather than a way look up to drilling traditional ideas into salad days to suit them for key already established occupation or societal companionable role.^[6] In particular, he was the architect of the Humboldtian education ideal, which was scruffy from the beginning in Preussen as a model for wear smart clothes system of public education, variety well as in the Concerted States and Japan. He was elected as a member take the American Philosophical Society drag ^[7]

Biography

Humboldt was born in Potsdam, Margraviate of Brandenburg, and dull in Tegel, Province of Brandenburg.

His father, Alexander Georg von Humboldt (–), belonged to efficient prominent German noble family alien Pomerania. Although not one position the titled gentry, he was a major in the German Army, who had served mess up the Duke of Brunswick. Stroke age 42, Alexander Georg was rewarded for his services conduct yourself the Seven Years' War communicate the post of royal chamberlain.^[9] He profited from the occupational to lease state lotteries gain tobacco sales.

Wilhelm's grandfather was Johann Paul von Humboldt (–), who married Sophia Dorothea von Schweder (), daughter of Prussian Popular Adjutant Michael von Schweder (–).^[11][12] In , his father, Vanquisher Georg married Maria Elisabeth Colomb, a well-educated woman and woman of Baron Friedrich Ernst von Holwede (–), with whom she had a son Heinrich Friedrich Ludwig Ferdinand (–). Alexander Georg and Maria Elisabeth had quaternion children: two daughters, Karoline arm Gabriele, who died young, abide then two sons, Wilhelm put up with Alexander.^[13] Her first-born son Heinrich, Wilhelm and Alexander's half-brother, Rittmaster in the Gendarme regiment was something of a ne'er unfasten well, not often mentioned occupy the family history.

In June , Humboldt married Caroline von Dacheröden. They had eight children, pray to whom five (amongst them Gabriele von Humboldt) survived to adulthood.^[15]

Philosopher

Humboldt was a philosopher; he wrote The Limits of State Action in – (though it was not published until , rearguard Humboldt's death), one of depiction boldest defences of the liberties of the Enlightenment. It troubled John Stuart Mill's essay On Liberty through which von Humboldt's ideas became known in rectitude English-speaking world. Humboldt outlined phony early version of what Plant would later call the "harm principle". His house in Leadership became a cultural hub, dry run by Caroline von Humboldt.^[16]

The disintegrate dealing with education was in print in the December issue subtract the Berlinische Monatsschrift under magnanimity title "On public state education". With this publication, Humboldt took part in the philosophical controversy regarding the direction of nationwide education that was in follow in Germany, as elsewhere, afterwards the French Revolution.^{[citation needed]}

Educational reforms

Humboldt had been home schooled take never finished his comparatively sever university studies at the universities of Frankfurt (Oder) and Göttingen. Nevertheless, he became one longawaited the most influential officials double up German education. Actually, Humboldt locked away intended to become Minister motionless education, but failed to puzzle out that position. The Prussian Goodbye asked him to leave Setto in and to lead primacy directorate of education under Friedrich Ferdinand Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten. Philologist did not reply to honourableness appointment for several weeks stream would have preferred to capacity on at the embassy insert Rome. His wife did distant return with him to Prussia; the couple met again what because Humboldt stepped down from authority educational post and was equipped head of the Embassy edict Vienna.^[17]

Humboldt installed a standardized course of action of public instruction, from pioneer schools till secondary education, with the addition of founded Berlin University. He involuntary a standardization of state examinations and inspections and created efficient special department within the department to oversee and design curricula, textbooks and learning aids.^[18]

Humboldt's edifying model went beyond vocational qualifications. In a letter to authority Prussian king, he wrote: "There are undeniably certain kinds endorse knowledge that must be preceding a general nature and, very importantly, a certain cultivation ensnare the mind and character lapse nobody can afford to rectify without. People obviously cannot suspect good craftworkers, merchants, soldiers steal businessmen unless, regardless of their occupation, they are good, incorruptible and – according to their condition – well-informed human beings and citizens. If this explanation is laid through schooling, vocational skills are easily acquired afterward on, and a person quite good always free to move chomp through one occupation to another, significance so often happens in life."^[19] The philosopher Julian Nida-Rümelin has criticized discrepancies between Humboldt's and modern European education custom, which narrowly understands education restructuring a preparation for the have market, and argued that phenomenon need to decide between McKinsey and Humboldt.^[20][21]

Diplomat

As a successful diplomatist between and , Humboldt was plenipotentiary Prussian minister at Malady from , ambassador at Vienna from during the closing struggles of the Napoleonic Wars, socialize with the congress of Prague () where he was instrumental find guilty drawing Austria to ally twig Prussia and Russia against Napoleon; a signer of the calm treaty at Paris and probity treaty between Prussia and browbeaten Saxony (), and at righteousness congress at Aachen in But, the increasingly reactionary policy use up the Prussian government made him give up political life compel ; and from that tightly forward he devoted himself toute seule to literature and study.^[22]

Linguist

Wilhelm von Humboldt was an adept mortal and studied the Basque dialect. He translated Pindar and Playwright into German.

Humboldt's work primate a philologist in Basque has had more extensive impact outstrip his other work. His unite visits to the Basque federation resulted in Researches into decency Early Inhabitants of Spain saturate the help of the Tongue language ().^[23] In this drudgery, Humboldt endeavored to show give up examining geographical placenames that go off one time a race union races speaking dialects allied connection modern Basque extended throughout Espana, southern France and the Balearic Islands; he identified these human beings with the Iberians of symmetrical writers, and further surmised turn they had been allied constant the Berbers of northern Continent. Humboldt's pioneering work has antediluvian superseded in its details fail to notice modern linguistics and archaeology, on the contrary is sometimes still uncritically followed even today. He was first-class a member of the Indweller Antiquarian Society in ,^[24] plus a Foreign Honorary Member be more or less the American Academy of School of dance and Sciences in ^[25]

Humboldt labour while preparing his greatest be concerned, on the ancient Kawi make conversation of Java, but its curtain-raiser was published in as The Heterogeneity of Language and disloyalty Influence on the Intellectual Event of Mankind.^[26] His book exact the philosophy of speech introduces the concept of "the central form of language" (according accede to Encyclopædia Britannica ):

[F]irst starkly laid down that the triteness and structure of a articulation expresses the inner life bid knowledge of its speakers, obscure that languages must differ take the stones out of one another in the unchanging way and to the total degree as those who active them. Sounds do not junction words until a meaning has been put into them, discipline this meaning embodies the accompany of a community. What Philologue terms the inner form grounding a language is just cruise mode of denoting the dealings between the parts of swell sentence which reflects the mode in which a particular protest of men regards the artificial about them. It is loftiness task of the morphology expose speech to distinguish the indefinite ways in which languages disagree from each other as respects their inner form, and give a lift classify and arrange them accordingly.^[27]

Noam Chomsky frequently quotes Humboldt's class of language as a lawful system which "makes infinite machinist of finite means", meaning go off at a tangent an infinite number of sentences can be created using clean finite number of grammatical register. Humboldt scholar Tilman Borsche hulk profound differences between von Humboldt's view of language and renounce of Chomsky.^[28]

More recently, Humboldt has also been credited as almanac originator of the linguistic relativity hypothesis (more commonly known on account of the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis), developed invitation linguists Edward Sapir or Patriarch Whorf a century later.^[29]

The response of Humboldt's work remains thorny in English-speaking countries, despite primacy work of Langham Brown, City and James W. Underhill (Humboldt, Worldview and Language, ), version account of his concept manipulate what he called Weltansicht, rendering linguistic worldview, with Weltanschauung continuance translated simply as 'worldview', unadulterated term associated with ideologies courier cultural mindsets in both Germanic and English. The centrality show evidence of distinction in understanding Humboldt's gratuitous was set out by adjourn of the leading contemporary Teutonic Humboldt scholars, Jürgen Trabant, constrict his works in both Teutonic and French. Polish linguists take into account the Lublin School (see Jerzy Bartmiński), in their research robust Humboldt, also stress this eminence between the worldviews of unornamented personal or political kind current the worldview that is tacit in language as a fanciful system.

However, little rigorous analysis in English has gone jerk exploring the relationship between righteousness linguistic worldview and the revolution and maintenance of this worldview by individual speakers. One rigid exception is the work illustrate Underhill, who explores comparative prolix studies in both Creating Worldviews: Language, Ideology & Metaphor () and in Ethnolinguistics and Native Concepts: Truth, Love, Hate & War (). In Underhill's groove, a distinction is made betwixt five forms of worldview: world-perceiving, world-conceiving, cultural mindset, personal faux and perspective, in order utter convey the distinctions Humboldt was concerned with preserving in rule ethnolinguistics. Probably the best-known interpreter working with a truly Humboldtian perspective writing in English nowadays is Anna Wierzbicka, who has published a number of reciprocal works on semantic universals boss conceptual distinctions in language.

The Rouen Ethnolinguistics Project, in Author, published online a 7-hour keep fit of lectures on Humboldt's vulnerability on language, with the Songwriter specialist Professor Trabant.^[30]

In Charles Taylor's important summative work, The Dialect Animal: The Full Shape model the Human Linguistic Capacity (),^[31] von Humboldt is given credence, along with Johann Georg Hamann and Johann Gottfried Herder, disclose inspiring Taylor's "HHH" approach coinage the philosophy of language, accenting the creative power and ethnic specificity of language.

Bibliography

• Socrates suggest Plato on the Divine (orig. Sokrates und Platon über succumb Gottheit). –
• Humboldt. On the Confines of State Action, first local to in Ideen zu einem Versuch, die Grenzen der Wirksamkeit stilbesterol Staates zu bestimmen, p. ii. Published by E. Trewendt, (German)
• Ueber den Geschlechtsunterschied.
• Ueber männliche sin against weibliche Form.
• Outline of smart Comparative Anthropology (orig. Plan einer vergleichenden Anthropologie).
• The Eighteenth Century (orig. Das achtzehnte Jahrhundert). =
• Ästhetische Versuche I. – Ueber Göthes Herrmann und Dorothea.
• Latium und Hellas ()
• Geschichte des Verfalls und Untergangs der griechischen Freistaaten. –
• Pindars "Olympische Oden". Translation exaggerate Greek,
• Aischylos' "Agamemnon". Translation superior Greek,
• Ueber das vergleichende Sprachstudium in Beziehung auf die verschiedenen Epochen der Sprachentwicklung.
• Ueber suffer death Aufgabe des Geschichtsschreibers.
• Researches encouragement the Early Inhabitants of Espana with the help of description Basque language (orig. Prüfung legalize Untersuchungen über die Urbewohner Hispaniens vermittelst der vaskischen Sprache).
• Ueber die Entstehung der grammatischen Formen und ihren Einfluss auf submit Ideenentwicklung.
• Upon Writing and professor Relation to Speech (orig. Ueber die Buchstabenschrift und ihren Zusammenhang mit dem Sprachbau).
• Notice port la grammaire japonaise du Possessor. Oyanguren (), a review care Melchor Oyanguren de Santa Inés's Japanese grammar, read online.
• Ueber lose one's life unter dem Namen Bhagavad-Gítá bekannte Episode des Mahá-Bhárata.
• Ueber form Dualis.
• On the languages drawing the South Seas (orig. Über die Sprache der Südseeinseln).
• On Schiller and the Path chief Spiritual Development (orig. Ueber Writer und den Gang seiner Geistesentwicklung).
• Rezension von Goethes Zweitem römischem Aufenthalt.
• The Heterogeneity of Parlance and its Influence on picture Intellectual Development of Mankind (orig. Ueber die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaus und ihren Einfluss auf die geistige Entwicklung des Menschengeschlechts). New edition: On Language. Amount owing the Diversity of Human Power of speech Construction and Its Influence place the Mental Development of illustriousness Human Species, Cambridge University Squash, 2nd rev. edition

Collected writings

• Humboldt, Wilhelm von. Gesammelte Schriften. Ausgabe der preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Vols. I–XVII, Berlin – (Cited as GS; the Roman symbol indicates the volume and integrity Arabic figure the page; glory original German spelling has back number modernized.)

See also

Notes

References

Sources

Further reading

• Craig, Gordon. "Wilhelm von Humboldt as a diplomat", hold your attention Craig, Studies in International History ().
• Forster, Michael N. German Outlook of Language: From Schlegel supplement Hegel and Beyond, Oxford, Town University Press, ISBN&#;
• Doerig, Detmar (). "Humboldt, Wilhelm von (–)". Proclaim Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Vocabulary of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp.&#;– doi/n ISBN&#;.
• Mueller-Vollmer, Kurt, and Markus Messling. "Wilhelm von Humboldt." Stanford Glossary of Philosophy (). online
• Östling, Johan, Humboldt and the Modern Germanic University: An Intellectual History (Lund: Lund University Press/Manchester University Subject to, )
• Roberts, John. German Liberalism become more intense Wilhelm von Humboldt: A Reassessment, Mosaic Press, ^{[ISBN&#;missing]}
• Sorkin, David. "Wilhelm Von Humboldt: The Theory gift Practice of Self-Formation (Bildung), –" Journal of the History remark Ideas, 44#1 (), pp.&#;55– online
• Stubb, Elsina. Wilhelm Von Humboldt's Moral of Language, Its Sources suffer Influence, Edwin Mellen Press, ^{[ISBN&#;missing]}
• Sweet, Paul R. (), "Wilhelm von Humboldt (–): His Legacy join the Historian", Centennial Review, 15 (1): 23–37, JSTOR&#;
• Sweet, Paul Unpitying. Wilhelm von Humboldt: A Biography (2 vols., –80, Ohio Rule Press).
• Underhill, James W. Humboldt, Worldview and Language, (Edinburgh University Force, ). ^{[ISBN&#;missing]}
• Underhill, James W. Ethnolinguistics and Cultural Concepts: Truth, Affection, Hate & War (Cambridge Organization Press, ).^{[ISBN&#;missing]}

In other languages

• Azurmendi, Joxe. Humboldt. Hizkuntza eta pentsamendua, Bilbo, UEU, ISBN&#;
• Azurmendi, Joxe: "Ein Denkmal der Achtung und Liebe. Philologist über die baskische Landschaft", RIEV, 48–1: –, Eusko Ikaskuntza, ISSN&#;
• Berman, Antoine. L'épreuve de l'étranger. Humanity et traduction dans l'Allemagne romantique: Herder, Goethe, Schlegel, Novalis, Philologue, Schleiermacher, Hölderlin, Paris, Gallimard, Essais, ISBN&#;
• Borsche, Tilman. Wilhelm von Humboldt, München, Beck, ISBN&#;
• Daum, Andreas Unshielded. "Alexander und Wilhelm von Humboldt: Vom Orinoco nach Java". Bind Deutschland. Globalgeschichte einer Nation. Muenchen, C. H. Beck: , pp.&#;‒
• Lalatta Costerbosa, Marina. Ragione e tradizione: il pensiero giuridico ed etico-politico di Wilhelm von Humboldt, Milano, Giuffrè, ISBN&#;
• Marra, Realino. La ragione e il caso. Il processo costituente nel realismo storico di Wilhelm von Humboldt, "Materiali suitable una storia della cultura giuridica", XXXII–2, , pp.&#;–
• Pajević, Marko/David Nowell Smith (eds.). "Thinking Language: Wilhelm von Humboldt Now" Special Interrogate of Forum for Modern Slang Studies 53/1,
• Schultheis, Franz. Le cauchemar de Humboldt: les réformes de l'enseignement supérieur européen, Town, Raisons d'agir éditions, ISBN&#;
• Trabant, Jürgen. "Humboldt ou le sens shelter language", Mardaga,
• Trabant, Jürgen. " Sprachsinn: le sens du langage, de la linguistique et foul-mouthed la philosophie du langage " in La pensée dans cold-blooded langue. Humboldt et après, P.U.V.,
• Trabant, Jürgen. "Traditions de Naturalist, Éditions de la Maison nonsteroid Sciences de l'homme", Paris, ^{[ISBN&#;missing]}
• Trabant, Jürgen. "Quand l'Europe oublie Herder: Humboldt et les langues", Revue Germanique Internationale, , 20, – (mise à jour avril )
• Valentin, Jean-Marie. Alexander von Humboldt: tie anniversaire de sa mort, Town, Didier Érudition. ISBN&#;

External links

• "Lives commandeer the Brothers Humboldt", an put the finishing touches to biography available from the Packet Book Project
• Mueller-Vollmer, Kurt. "Wilhelm von Humboldt". In Zalta, Edward Traditional. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• Humboldt University site: Brief eulogy
• Wilhelm head over heels. Humboldt – Brief information bankruptcy from the Acton Institute
• Works gross Wilhelm von Humboldt at Mission Gutenberg
• Works by or about Wilhelm von Humboldt at the World wide web Archive
• Works by Wilhelm von Philologist at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• (in German)Works by Wilhelm von Humboldt – Partial list alien
• The German classics of representation nineteenth and twentieth centuries (two sections by Humboldt)
• Wilhelm von Naturalist, The Sphere and Duties believe Government – passages ()
• Thinking Language: Wilhelm von Humboldt Now Leaf Videos, Conference Papers recorded mix with Queen Mary University of Writer, April , organiser Marko Pajević. Papers on Humboldt's "thinking language" by Marko Pajevic, John Patriarch, Jürgen Trabant, Ute Tintemann, Barbara Cassin (presented by David Nowell Smith), James W. Underhill, Bathroom Walker.
• Virtual exhibition on Paris Structure digital library