Background
Tugendhat, Ernst was born on March 8, 1930 in Brzo, Czechoslovakia. Arrived in Switzerland, 1938, arrived in Venezuela, 1941.
(A major study of some of the central and abiding question...)
A major study of some of the central and abiding questions of metaphysics and the philosophy of language by one of the most eminent contemporary German philosophers. Originally published in 1976, it was first translated into English in 1982. Ernst Tugendhat was trained in the Heideggerian modes of phenomenological and hermeneutical thinking. Yet increasingly he came to believe that the most appropriate approach was from within the framework of analytical philosophy. This book grew out of that conviction, and as such it brought a fresh perspective to some of the rarely examined assumptions and methods of analysis. Professor Tugendhat begins by showing how semantic analysis related to such 'traditional' conceptions of philosophy as Aristotle's and Kant's, and the manner in which it treats such 'traditional' problems as being and consciousness. From these considerations he develops a systematic, thorough and original theory of reference, predication and individuation, which make it an invaluable resource for anyone with an interest in the philosophy of language.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521125731/?tag=2022091-20
(This book seeks to clarify the precise structure of self-...)
This book seeks to clarify the precise structure of self-consciousness and self-determination and elucidates their significance for our philosophical understanding of self-knowledge and human agency. The analysis challenges traditional models of theoretical self-knowledge and practical self-relation and elaborates an account of rationally grounded responsibility that jointly fulfills the demands of autonomy and authenticity. Tugendhat's study is a unique synthesis of the contemporary Anglo-American philosophical approach with an abiding concern for classical philosophical problems. It brings the methods of linguistic analysis to bear on such epistemological, moral, and metaphysical issues as the meaning and interconnections of self-knowledge, ego identity, rational self-understanding, and freedom of the will. In this context, the views of Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Mead, and Hegel are searchingly examined. The philosophical testimony of Kierkegaard, Freud, Habermas, and others is also presented and weighed. Self-Consciousness and Self-Determination is based on a series of lectures given at Heidelberg. Ernst Tugendhat is currently Professor of Philosophy at the Freie Universität in Berlin. The book is included in the series Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought, edited by Thomas McCarthy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262200562/?tag=2022091-20
Tugendhat, Ernst was born on March 8, 1930 in Brzo, Czechoslovakia. Arrived in Switzerland, 1938, arrived in Venezuela, 1941.
Student, Stanford University, 1944—1949. Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy, University Freiburg, 1956.
Postdoctoral researcher University Münster, 1956—1958. Assistant professor, department philosphy University Tübingen, 1958—1964, professor, since 1966, currently honorary professor. Professor University Heidelberg, 1966—1975. Emeritus professor philosphy Free University, Berlin. Retired, 1992 Lecturer University Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1965. Visiting professor Pontificia University Católica de Chile, Santiago, 1992, University Prague, 1997—1998. Researcher Institute Human Sciences, Vienna, 1996.
(This book seeks to clarify the precise structure of self-...)
(A major study of some of the central and abiding question...)
The writings of Ernst Tugendhat have done much to familiarize the German-speaking world with Anglo-American philosophy. Although convinced of its methodological fruitfulness he maintained that analytic/linguistic philosophy had lost sight of its roots and of fundamental metaphysical issues. On the other hand, he argued that while continental philosophy had remained in touch with such issues, it stood in need of the superior analytic tools possessed by Englishspeaking philosophers.
After studying classical philology at Stanford Tugendhat transferred to Freiburg in order to hear Heidegger. In 1966 a stay at the University of Michigan oriented him to linguistic analysis.
One major theme in Tugendhat’s work has been to stress the centrality of language and of the merits of a semantics based on the sentence as opposed to the name/object relation. Frege he interpreted accordingly.
Similarly, in his important book on the twin concepts of self-consciousness and self-determination, selfknowledge is treated as propositional, while self-determination is seen to depend upon the communicative use of language and the availability of social roles. Tugendhat regards the contribution of Heidegger as indispensable although giving insufficient weight to language and the social dimension. While Habermas was influenced by Selbstbewusstsein und Selbsbestimmung, Tugendhat has in recent years been a prominent critic of the former's discourse ethics.
Sources: Who's Who in Europe 1985. Wer 25, 1986/7; brief letter from Tugendhat.
Member of American Academy Arts & Sciences (foreign honorary).