The habilitation thesis titled Die systematischen Begriffe in Kant's vorkritischen Schriften nach ihrem Verhältniss zum kritischen Idealismus secured Hermann Cohen a position as Privatdozent at the University of Marburg in 1873. This event marked the beginning of an academic career that placed him at the center of the Marburg School of neo-Kantianism and nineteenth-century philosophy.
Academic Trajectory and Neo-Kantianism
Born in 1842 in Coswig, Cohen received his education at the Gymnasium at Dessau, the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau, and the universities of Breslau, Berlin, and Halle. He attained the rank of professor extraordinarius in 1875, followed by a promotion to professor ordinarius the next year. His work focused on epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and the methodics of gnoseology. He published three fundamental interpretations of philosophical foundations: Kant's Theory of Experience, Kant's Foundations of Ethics, and Kant's Foundations of Aesthetics. These were followed by his own systematic series comprising Logik der reinen Erkenntnis, Ethik des reinen Willens, and Ästhetik des reinen Gefühls.
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Take the IQ test →Contributions to Jewish Studies
Beyond his systematic philosophy, Cohen engaged heavily in Jewish studies. He served as a founder of the Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaft des Judentums, which held its inaugural meeting in Berlin in 1902. His intellectual output included various pamphlets and articles, such as Die Kulturgeschichtliche Bedeutung des Sabbat and Ein Bekenntniss in der Judenfrage. His final major work, Religion der Vernunft aus den Quellen des Judentums, was published in 1919. He also produced Die Ethik des Maimonides and Die Nächstenliebe im Talmud, the latter written following a request from the Marburg Königliches Landgericht.
Views on Zionism and Final Years
Cohen maintained a critical stance regarding Zionism, arguing against the creation of a Jewish state. He posited that such a project would force the Jewish people back into history, whereas he viewed Judaism as inherently a-historical with a moral mission that transcended nationalistic goals. In 1878, he married Martha Lewandowski, the daughter of the composer Louis Lewandowski. The couple remained childless. Cohen died in 1918 in Berlin and was interred at the Weißensee Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1842, Coswig
- Died: 1918, Berlin
- Burial site: Weißensee Cemetery
- Academic affiliation: University of Marburg
- Spouse: Martha Lewandowski
- Key philosophical movement: Marburg School
Questions readers ask
Did Hermann Cohen have children?
No, his marriage to Martha Lewandowski was childless.
What was Cohen's stance on Zionism?
He was an outspoken critic of Zionism, believing that a Jewish state would return Jews to history rather than maintaining their specific spiritual and moral mission.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Marburg and Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums
- Fields: philosophy, gnoseology and epistemology
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