Anton Günther (philosopher)

Anton Günther

Anton Günther (born November 17, 1783 in Lindenau (Lindava), today a district of Cvikov , † February 24, 1863 in Vienna ) was an Austrian philosopher and theologian.

Life

The son of a village blacksmith studied law and philosophy in Prague and Vienna with Bernard Bolzano and Klemens Maria Hofbauer . Finally, through his successful doctorate, he obtained the title of Dr. theol. After ordination in 1821, he became a novice of the Society of Jesus in Starawieś in Galicia .

However, after a two-year novitiate he left the Jesuit order, which he considered too authoritarian, and returned to Vienna in 1824, where he worked as a private scholar. Here he created a new Catholic philosophical doctrine, called Güntherianism , which consisted mainly of a rational justification of Christianity and a well-founded anthropology . Its main aim was to prevent neo-scholasticism as the only possible Catholic philosophy. In 1852 he was elected a foreign member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences .

In 1857 his writings were placed on the index of forbidden books of the Catholic Church. At the instigation of Cardinal Geissel and the theologian Josef Kleutgen , Pope Pius IX condemned it . Günther's teaching in the letter Eximiam Tuam on June 15, 1857. Günther submitted to the papal verdict.

reception

Günther's teaching gained great influence in the years from 1830 to 1870. Philosophers and theologians influenced by him include Johann Nepomuk Ehrlich , Karl Werner , Johann Heinrich Löwe , Jakob Zukrigl , Xaver Schmid , Jakob Merten , Theodor Gangauf OSB, Johann Spörlein , Georg Karl Mayer , Peter Knoodt , Peter Joseph Elvenich , Johann Baptist Baltzer , Joseph Hubert Reinkens and Matthäus Hörfarter .

Günther was accused of "semirationalism" by the Catholic side. Against him wrote u. a. Johann Hast , Wenzeslaus Mattes , Ildephons Sorg OSB, Johann Oischinger , Franz Xaver Dieringer , Franz Jakob Clemens , Friedrich Michelis , Johann Adam Hitzfelder , Joseph Kleutgen , Johannes Katschthaler .

After Günther's conviction, some of his students made modifications to the teaching system, and some also turned to Old Catholicism .

In 1875, Günthergasse in Vienna- Alsergrund (9th district) was named after him.

Works

• Preschool for speculative theology of positive Christianity , 2 volumes, 1828–1829.
• Southern and Northern Lights on the Horizon of Speculative Theology , 1832.
• Janus heads for philosophy and theology (with JH Pabst), 1833.
• The last symbolist. One of the symbolic works of Dr. JA Möhlers and Dr. FC Baurs arranged for writing in letters , 1834.
• Thomas a scrupulis. On the transfiguration of personality pantheisms of recent times , 1835.
• The Juste Milieus in Contemporary German Philosophy , 1838.
• Eurystheus and Heracles. Metalogical Reviews and Meditations , 1843.
• Lydia , Philosophisches Jahrbuch, 5 volumes from 1849-1854, edited together with Johann Emanuel Veith.
• Collected writings , 9 volumes, 1882, new edition 1968 in Frankfurt a. M.
• Anti-Savarese , edited by Peter Knoodt, Vienna 1883.

Late writings:

• Joseph Pritz (ed.): Guide to theology , Anton Günther's letters to Johann Nepomuk Ehrlich with an introduction, Wiener Contributions to Theology 37, Vienna 1971.
• Johann Reikerstorfer (ed.): Lentigos und Peregrins Briefwechsel und Anti-Savarese , 1978 (first printed in 1857, but only distributed to friends, reprinted by Knoodt in 1883, see above).

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Günther, Anton . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 6th part. Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1860, pp. 10–15 ( digitized version ).
• Franz Peter Knoodt:  Günther, Anton . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 10, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1879, pp. 146-167.
• Paul Wenzel:  Günther, Anton. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 7, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1966, ISBN 3-428-00188-5 , p. 268 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz :  Günther, Anton. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 2, Bautz, Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-032-8 , Sp. 384-386.
• Günther Anton. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 2, Publishing House of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1959, p. 100 f. (Direct links on p. 100 , p. 101 ).
• Entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia , Robert Appleton Company, New York 1913.
• Heinz Pepperle: Güntherianism . In: Philosophical Dictionary . Volume 1. A to Cybernetics . 10th revised and expanded edition. Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1974, pp. 509-510.

Web links

• Literature by and about Anton Günther in the catalog of the German National Library
• A detailed presentation of his teaching (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Anton Günther (obituary) . In: Meeting reports of the royal. bayer. Academy of Sciences in Munich . tape 1 , 1863, p. 342–343 ( online [PDF; accessed February 18, 2017]).
2. ↑ Hubert Wolf: The nuns of Sant 'Ambrogio. A true story , CH Beck, Munich 2013, p. 378 ff.
3. ↑ Johann Nepomuk Paul Oischinger: The Günther'sche philosophy. Represented and honored with consideration for the history and the system of philosophy, as well as for the Christian religion , Schaffhausen 1852.