Heinrich Klausing

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Heinrich Klausing

Heinrich Klausing (born December 28, 1675 in Herford , † October 2, 1745 in Leipzig ) was a German Lutheran theologian, mathematician, astronomer and polyhistor .

Life

Klausing studied at the University of Wittenberg from 1695 , received the academic degree of a master's degree in philosophy on October 15, 1696 and was accepted as an adjunct in the philosophy faculty. After Klausing had applied for an extraordinary professorship in mathematics as early as 1703, he was appointed extraordinary professor of mathematics in 1704 and joined the decrepit professor of higher mathematics Michael Strauch (* 1635), quasi as a substitute .

In 1706, after Klausing's teacher Christian Röhrensee left, Klausing was already a candidate for the appointment of the full professorship for ethics. However, he had to be patient for another year, as Heinrich Ludwig Wernher took the place because of his popularity at the Saxon court. After he died shortly afterwards, Klausing became a full professor of ethics at the end of 1707. Nevertheless, Klausing viewed this professorship only as a stepping stone into theology; his lectures in moral philosophy (Theologia moralis) provide information about it.

He completed his licentiate on March 7, 1710 and received his doctorate in theology on March 11. Although Klausing now had the appropriate qualifications to fill a theological professorship, he initially stayed in the philosophical faculty. After Georg Friedrich Schröer switched to the theological faculty, his old chair for metaphysics and logic became vacant. Due to Schröer's effectiveness, the Faculty of Philosophy redefined its demands on the next professor.

Accordingly, he should be able to demonstrate the usefulness of his subjects in theology, and he should be able to confront the Socinians, Reformed and other representatives of other churches who deviate from Lutheran orthodoxy. In addition, he should be able to judge innovations such as the “real logic” of René Descartes , maintain “what is good in the old logic” and also be able to lead the “Studium Theologicum didacticum polemicum”. Although the Wittenberg Academy had enough theologically trained adjuncts available, the choice fell on Klausing when filling the chair.

With the new appointment of the chair, he handed over his professorship to Martin Hassen and was given an extraordinary professorship in theology. After Johann Andreas Planer died in 1714, the professorship in higher mathematics became vacant. The Wittenberg University recommended Klausing as his successor, who also prevailed in his application for the office. Klausing took over the professorship of higher mathematics in June 1715. His writings from the Wittenberg period are consistently only small Latin dissertations and programs on mathematics, optics, astronomy, psychology, moral philosophy and theology.

Due to the large number of appointments at the Wittenberg Academy, the Saxon government in Dresden had also become aware of the determined Klausing. Therefore, in 1719, Klausing was given preference to fill the chair at the University of Leipzig. Klausing gradually rose to full professorial position in the theological faculty in Leipzig until 1723. Nevertheless he remained connected to his passion for mathematics and this led to one-sided blindness in 1730. As a theologian he was active in the entire breadth of the subject, although he represented Lutheran orthodoxy in the theological struggles of that time. He also stood up against Wolffianism, which was very effective in Leipzig . The arguments between the Wolffians and the anti-Wolffians bear witness to these different positions. The Leipzig superintendent Salomon Deyling and Klausing formed the "center of the phalanx of resolute opponents of all tendencies in modern philosophy." The conflict between Johann Christoph Gottsched and Klausing seems to have been particularly sharp , which in Gottsched's opinion should be described as "the worst heretics-maker we have".

Klausing, who had already been active in Wittenberg as dean of the philosophical faculty and as Wittenberg university rector in the summer semester of 1714, also took part in the organizational tasks of the university in Leipzig and served in the summer semesters of 1721, 1727, 1731, 1733, 1741 as well as in his The year of death 1745 as rector of the university. He died as the acting rector and was buried on October 6th in the Paulinerkirche (Leipzig) . In addition, a major memorial hour was held on October 18, 1745, in which the representatives from town, country and universities paid homage to the great personality of their time.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Detlef Döring : The Philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and the Leipzig Enlightenment in the first half of the 18th century. (= Saxon Academy of Sciences in Leipzig, Philological-Historical Class, vol. 75, no. 4), Leipzig 1999, p. 48.
  2. ↑ Döring 1999, p. 48, note 166; see. Lutz Felbick : Lorenz Christoph Mizler de Kolof - student of Bach and Pythagorean "Apostle of Wolffian Philosophy". Georg-Olms-Verlag, Hildesheim 2012, ISBN 978-3-487-14675-1 (University of Music and Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig - Writings; 5), p. 60 ff.

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Klausing, Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian, mathematician, astronomer and polyhistor
DATE OF BIRTH December 28, 1675
PLACE OF BIRTH Herford
DATE OF DEATH October 2, 1745
Place of death Leipzig