Karl August von Eschenmayer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 4 July 1768 |
| Died | 17 November 1852 (1852-11-18) (aged 84) |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | University of Tübingen |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | 19th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | German idealism Naturphilosophie Non-philosophy |
| Main interests | Mysticism |
| Notable ideas | Non-philosophy |
Adam Karl August von Eschenmayer (originallyCarl; 4 July 1768 – 17 November 1852) was a Germanphilosopher andphysician.
He was born atNeuenbürg inWürttemberg in 1768. After receiving his early education at the Caroline academy ofStuttgart, he entered theUniversity of Tübingen, where he was given the degree of doctor of medicine. He practised for some time as a physician atSulz, and then atKirchheim, and in 1811 he was chosen extraordinary professor ofphilosophy andmedicine at Tübingen. In 1818 he became ordinary professor ofpractical philosophy, but in 1836 he resigned and took up his residence at Kirchheim, where he devoted his whole attention to philosophical studies.[1]
Eschenmayer's views are largely identical with those ofFriedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, but he differed from him in regard to the knowledge of theabsolute. He believed that in order to complete the arc of truth, philosophy must be supplemented by what he callednon-philosophy (German:Nichtphilosophie), a kind of mystical illumination by which was obtained a belief inGod that could not be reached by mere intellectual effort.[2] He carried this tendency tomysticism into his physical researches, and was led by it to take a deep interest in the phenomena ofanimal magnetism. He ultimately became a devout believer in demoniacal and spiritual possession; and his later writings are all strongly impregnated withsupernaturalism.[1]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Eschenmayer, Adam Karl August von".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 764–765.