Philosophy in the Last Forty Years (eBook)

Rudolf Hermann Lotze (1817-1881) was a significant German philosopher and logician who bridged the gap between the Idealist and Realist philosophical traditions of the 19th century. He was born in Bautzen, Saxony, and went on to study at the University of Leipzig, where he was later appointed as a professor. Lotze worked in a period that was marked by the decline of Hegelianism and the rise of various opposing schools of thought, setting the stage for the development of new philosophical trends. He sought a balance between the scientific worldview that was gaining prominence and the German philosophical tradition. As a polymath, Lotze's contributions spanned not only philosophy but also the fields of psychology, medicine, and metaphysics. His most notable work includes 'Mikrokosmos' and 'Medizinische Psychologie'. The book 'Philosophy in the Last Forty Years' offers insights into the dynamic shifts and intellectual currents in philosophy during a transformative period in the discipline's history. In it, we find a reflection of Lotze's own approach to philosophical inquiry, characterized by rigorous analysis and an attempt to reconcile the subjective inner world with objective reality. Lotze's style is often marked by his commitment to a philosophy that serves practical life, a belief in the freedom of the will, and a conviction in the moral order of the universe. Although his influence was eclipsed in the early 20th century by the likes of Husserl and Heidegger, recent scholarship has witnessed a resurgence of interest in Lotze's work, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of both analytic and continental philosophy.