The publication of the article On Ethics in the 1948 edition of Studentski list marked the start of a lifelong intellectual confrontation between Milan Kangrga and the communist leadership of Yugoslavia. This early dissent defined his career as a philosopher, setting a trajectory that would eventually place him at the forefront of the Praxis school.
Academic Foundation
Born in Zagreb in 1923, Kangrga pursued his education at the University of Zagreb. He completed his graduation from the Faculty of Philosophy in 1950, immediately beginning his career as a teaching assistant. His early academic focus centered on ethics and aesthetics. He sought further intellectual development by studying in Heidelberg, Germany, between 1962 and 1964. By 1972, he attained the position of tenured professor, a role he maintained until his retirement in 1993.
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In 1964, Kangrga served as a founding member of the journal Praxis. Collaborating with Rudi Supek, he established the Korčula Summer School, which operated as a nexus for international discourse between 1964 and 1974. The movement, known as the Praxis school, prioritized the early writings of Karl Marx and advocated for unrestricted freedom of speech based on the principle of ruthless critique. Kangrga integrated themes of human creativity and the concept of humans as beings who humanize nature through production into his work.
Political Engagement
Kangrga joined the League of Communists of Yugoslavia in 1953 but faced expulsion the following year. This occurred after he credited the works of Miroslav Krleža as his primary inspiration for becoming a communist, at a time when the regime had not yet fully rehabilitated the author. While he remained a vocal critic of the party's failure to implement self-management socialism, he also consistently rejected non-socialist reactions against the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including the Croatian Spring.
International Reach
Over the course of his career, Kangrga lectured in various European cities, including Bonn, Munich, Prague, Budapest, Moscow, and Kyiv. His philosophical contributions reached a global audience through articles published in Germany, Italy, the United States, France, Spain, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Mexico. He authored 15 books, with his final work, Classical German Idealism, appearing in 2008, the same year he died in Zagreb.
Fast facts
- Born: 1923, Zagreb
- Died: 2008, Zagreb
- Nationality: Croatia
- Education: University of Zagreb
- Occupation: University teacher, philosopher, ethicist
- Key journal affiliation: Praxis
- Number of books published: 15
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Korčula Summer School?
It served as a meeting place for philosophers from both the East and the West between 1964 and 1974.
What were the primary themes of the Praxis school?
The movement emphasized the writings of young Marx and advocated for freedom of speech through the ruthless critique of existing conditions.
Achievements
- Fields: philosophy and ethics
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