The System der philosophischen Moral, published in 1828, established Karl Ludwig Michelet as a practitioner of Hegelian philosophy. Born in 1801 in Berlin, his career unfolded entirely within the Prussian capital, where he served as a central figure in academic institutions for over six decades until his death in 1893 at the age of ninety-two.
Academic Formation and Career
Michelet attended the Französisches Gymnasium Berlin before enrolling at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He earned his doctorate in philosophy in 1824. By 1829, he secured a professorship at Humboldt-Universität, a faculty position he maintained for the remainder of his life. His institutional involvement extended beyond the university, notably through his founding of the Berlin Philosophical Society in 1845. As an editor, he directed the society's official publication, Der Gedanke, beginning in 1860.
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Training in the Hegelian doctrine shaped his entire intellectual output. Between 1832 and 1842, he served as an editor for the complete works of Hegel. He dedicated much of his writing to defending this school of thought, producing studies such as Geschichte der letzten Systeme der Philosophie in Deutschland von Kant bis Hegel and the dissertation Schelling und Hegel. His 1840 volume, Anthropologie und Psychologie, marked a point where he began to diverge from established Hegelian principles.
Theological and Historical Investigations
Michelet produced significant work on Aristotelian ethics and metaphysics, including a treatise published in Paris in 1836 that earned recognition from the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. His own theological framework, characterized as Neo-Christian Spiritualism, appeared in works such as Vorlesungen über die Persönlichkeit Gottes und die Unsterblichkeit der Seele and Die Epiphanie der ewigen Persönlichkeit des Gottes. His bibliography also spans legal philosophy, historical surveys of humanity, and an 1886 autobiography titled Wahrheit aus meinem Leben.
Fast facts
- Born: 1801, Berlin
- Died: 1893, Berlin
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Prussia
- Education: Französisches Gymnasium Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Career: Historian; philosopher
- Membership: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Society of Serbian Letters; Serbian Learned Society
- Burial site: Französischer Friedhof
Questions readers ask
What was the Berlin Philosophical Society?
Founded by Michelet in 1845, it served as a primary institution for the representation and study of German Hegelianism.
Did Michelet write in languages other than German?
Yes, he was fluent in French and published his 1836 Aristotle study and his 1856 logic sketch in that language.
Achievements
- Held posts at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
