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Western Philosophers
20th Century Philosophy
Otto Weininger
Name
Otto Weininger
Birth 1880 April 3 (Vienna, Austria)
Death 1903 October 4 (Vienna, Austria)
School/tradition Freethought
Main interests Philosophy, logic, psychology, genius, gender, religion
Notable ideas All people have elements of both femininity and masculinity, logic and ethics are one, logic is tied to the principle of identity (A=A), the genius is the universal thinker. See also [[Analytic philosophy]] and [[Continental philosophy]] The 20th century brought with it upheavals that produced a series of conflicting developments within Philosophy Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that Beliefs should be formed on the basis of Science and Logic and should not be influenced Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and Inference. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and A genius is a person of great Intelligence or remarkable abilities in a specific subject who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect and/or ability especially Gender comprises a range of differences between men and women extending from the biological to the social A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos
Influenced by Kant, Beethoven, Wagner, Jesus, Lombroso, Plato, Ibsen, Carlyle, Schopenhauer, Goethe
Influenced Wittgenstein, Kraus, Kafka, Stein, Musil, Schoenberg, Joyce, Strindberg, Trakl, Canetti, Bernhard, Evola, von Liebenfels

Otto Weininger (April 3, 1880 – October 4, 1903) was an Austrian philosopher. Immanuel Kant (ɪmanuəl kant 22 April 1724 12 February 1804 was an 18th-century German Philosopher from the Prussian city of Königsberg Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Cesare Lombroso, born Ezechia Marco Lombroso ( November 6, 1835 – October 19, 1909) was a Jewish Italian Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece "Ibsen" redirects here For other people named Ibsen see Ibsen (disambiguation. Thomas Carlyle (4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881 was a Scottish essayist satirist and historian whose work was highly influential during the Victorian era. ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer For the theologian see Karl Christian Friedrich Krause. Karl Kraus ( April 28, 1874 - June 12, 1936) Gertrude Stein ( February 3, 1874 &ndash July 27, 1946) was an American Writer who spent most of her life in France Robert Musil born Robert Edler von Musil ( November 6, 1880, Klagenfurt, Austria &ndash Arnold Schoenberg ( pronounced ˈʃøːnbɛrk (13 September 1874 &ndash 13 July 1951 was an Austrian and later American Composer, associated with James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 &ndash 13 January 1941 was an Irish expatriate writer widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the ( January 22, 1849  &ndash May 14, 1912) was a Swedish Writer, Playwright, and painter. Georg Trakl ( February 3, 1887 – November 3, 1914) was a pre-eminent Austrian poet Elias Canetti ( 25 July 1905, Rousse, Bulgaria – 14 August 1994, Zurich, Switzerland) was a Thomas Bernhard (born Nicolaas Thomas Bernhard, February 9, 1931 - February 12, 1989) was an Austrian Playwright Julius Evola, also known as Baron Giulio Cesare Evola, ( May 19, 1898 &ndash June 11, 1974) was an Italian Philosopher Adolf Josef Lanz (aka Jörg Lanz) who called himself Lanz von Liebenfels ( July 19 1874 - April 22, 1954) was an Austrian Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language In 1903, he published the book Geschlecht und Charakter (Sex and Character) which gained popularity after Weininger's suicide at the age of 23. Today, the book is generally viewed as misogynistic and anti-Semitic in academic circles[1]; however, it continues to be held up as a great work of lasting genius and spiritual wisdom by others[2], including the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Misogyny (mɪˈsɒdʒɪni is hatred (or contemptof women Misogyny is parallel to Misandry — the hatred of men Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility

Contents

Life

Otto Weininger was born on April 3, 1880 in Vienna as a son of the Jewish goldsmith Leopold Weininger and his wife Adelheid. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A goldsmith is a Metalworker who specializes in working with Gold and other Precious metals usually in modern times to make Jewelry. After attending primary school and graduating from secondary school in July 1898, Weininger registered at the University of Vienna in October of the same year. The University of Vienna (Universität Wien is a Public university located in Vienna, Austria. He studied philosophy and psychology but took courses in natural sciences and medicine as well. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and In Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the Universe, which is understood as obeying rules or law of Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Weininger learned Greek, Latin, French and English very early, later also Spanish and Italian, and acquired passive knowledge of the language of August Strindberg and Henrik Ibsen. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. ( January 22, 1849  &ndash May 14, 1912) was a Swedish Writer, Playwright, and painter. "Ibsen" redirects here For other people named Ibsen see Ibsen (disambiguation.

In the autumn of 1901 Weininger tried to find a publisher for his work Eros and the Psyche - which he submitted to his professors Jodl and Müllner as his thesis in 1902. He met Sigmund Freud who, however, did not recommend the text to a publisher. Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded His professors accepted the thesis and Weininger received his Ph. D. degree. Shortly thereafter he became proudly and enthusiastically a Protestant. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

In 1902 Weininger went to Bayreuth where he witnessed a performance of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal which left him deeply impressed. Bayreuth ( pronounced) is a City in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Frankish Alb Parsifal is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner. Via Dresden and Copenhagen he made his way to Christiania (Oslo) where he for the first time saw Henrik Ibsen’s liberation drama Peer Gynt on stage. Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. "Ibsen" redirects here For other people named Ibsen see Ibsen (disambiguation. Peer Gynt (per gʏnt is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Upon his return to Vienna Weininger suffered from fits of deep depression. The decision to take his own life gradually took shape in his mind; after a long discussion with his friend Artur Gerber, however, Weininger realized that “it is not yet time”.

In June 1903, after months of concentrated work, his book Sex and Character - a fundamental investigation - an attempt “to place sex relations in a new and decisive light” - was published by the Vienna publishers Braumüller & Co. The book contained his thesis to which three vital chapters were added: (XII) The Nature of Woman and her Relation to the Universe, (XIII) Judaism, (XIV) Women and Humanity. While the book was not received negatively, it did not create the expected stir. Weininger was attacked by Paul Julius Moebius, professor in Leipzig and author of the book “On the Physiological Deficiency of Women”, and accused of plagiarizing. Paul Julius Möbius ( January 24, 1853 - January 8, 1907) was a German Neurologist who was born in Leipzig. Deeply disappointed and tortured by doubts Weininger left for Italy.

Back in Vienna he spent his last five days with his parents. On October 3, he took a room in the house in Schwarzspanierstraße 15 where Ludwig van Beethoven died. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. He told the landlady that he was not to be disturbed before morning since he planned to work and then to go to bed late. This night he wrote two letters, one addressed to his father, the other one to his brother Richard, telling them that he was going to shoot himself.

In the morning of October 4, when the door was opened, Weininger was found lying fully dressed on the floor, unconscious, with a wound in the left part of his chest. He was rushed by the voluntary ambulance corps to Wiener Allgemeines Krankenhaus, where he died that morning at half past ten.

Otto Weininger was buried on the Matzleinsdorf Protestant Cemetery in Vienna. His grave is still there, with the following epitaph by his father Leopold Weininger:

"This stone closes the resting place of a young man
whose mind never really found peace on earth.
And after imparting revelations of his mind and soul
he could not bear any longer to be among the living.
He searched for the death realm of one of the greatest minds
that dwelled in the house in Schwarzspanierstrasse
and put an end to his bodily existence. "

Sex and Character

In his book Sex and Character, Weininger argues that all people are composed of a mixture of the male and the female substance, and attempts to support his view scientifically. The male aspect is active, productive, conscious and moral/logical, while the female aspect is passive, unproductive, unconscious and amoral/alogical. Amorality is the quality of existence in which the concept of Morality (or Right and wrong) is invalid Weininger argues that emancipation should be reserved for the "masculine woman", e. g. some lesbians, and that the female life is consumed with the sexual function: both with the act, as a prostitute, and the product, as a mother. Woman is a "matchmaker". Matchmaking is any process of introducing people for the purposes of Dating and Mating, usually in the context of Marriage. By contrast, the duty of the male, or the masculine aspect of personality, is to strive to become a genius, and to forego sexuality for an abstract love of the absolute, God, which he finds within himself. The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence

A significant part of his book is about the nature of genius. Weininger argues that there is no such thing as a person who has a genius for, say, mathematics, or music, but there is only the universal genius, in whom everything exists and makes sense. In philosophy universalism is a doctrine or school claiming universal facts can be discovered and is therefore understood as being in opposition to Relativism. He reasons that such genius is probably present in all people to some degree.

In a separate chapter, Weininger, himself a Jew who had converted to Christianity in 1902, analyzes the archetypical Jew as feminine, and thus profoundly irreligious, without true individuality (soul), and without a sense of good and evil. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ In Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy, the phrase good and evil refers to the location of objects desires and Behaviors on a two-way Christianity is described as "the highest expression of the highest faith", while Judaism is called "the extreme of cowardliness". Weininger decries the decay of modern times, and attributes much of it to feminine, and thus Jewish, influences. By Weininger's reckoning everyone shows some femininity, and what he calls "Jewishness".

Weininger shot himself in the house in Vienna where Beethoven had died, the man he considered one of the greatest geniuses of all. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. This made him a cause célèbre, inspired several imitation suicides, and turned his book into a success. A cause célèbre (plural causes célèbres, French famous case) is The book received glowing reviews by August Strindberg, who wrote that it had "probably solved the hardest of all problems", the "woman problem". ( January 22, 1849  &ndash May 14, 1912) was a Swedish Writer, Playwright, and painter. The woman question is a phrase usually used in connection with a social change in the later half of the nineteenth century which questioned the fundamental roles of women in countries

Influence on Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein read the book as a schoolboy and was deeply impressed by it, later listing it as one of his influences and recommending it to friends (Ray Monk: Ludwig Wittgenstein, The Duty of Genius, 1990). However, Wittgenstein's deep admiration of Weininger's thought was coupled with a fundamental disagreement with his position. Wittgenstein writes to G. E. Moore: "It isn't necessary or rather not possible to agree with him but the greatness lies in that with which we disagree. It is his enormous mistake which is great. " The themes of the decay of modern civilization and the duty to perfect one's genius occur repeatedly in Wittgenstein's later writings.

Physiognomy

Weinigers friend Artur Gerber gave a description of Weiniger's physiognomy in "ECCE HOMO", preface to "Taschenbuch und Briefe an einen Freund" (E. P. Tal & Co. , Leipzig/Vienna 1922):

Nobody who had once seen his face could ever forget it. The big dome of his forehead marked it. The face was peculiar looking because of the large eyes; the look in them seemed to surround everything. In spite of his youth, his face was not handsome, it was rather ugly. Never did I see him laugh or smile. His face was always dignified and serious. Only when he was outdoors in spring did it seem to relax, and then become cheerful and bright. At many concerts he would shine with happiness. In the most wonderful moments we spent together, particularly when he talked about an idea in which he was interested, his eyes were filled with happiness. Otherwise his face was impenetrable. One could never - except to the last few months - find in his face any hint of what was happening deep within his soul. The taut muscles would often move, and sharp wrinkles would appear on his face, as if they were caused by intolerable pain. I asked for the reason, he controlled himself at once, gave a vague or evasive answer, or talked about other matters, making further questioning impossible. His manners would occasionally elicit surprise, and often a smile, since he cared little for traditions and prejudices. The influence of his personality seemed strongest at night. His body seemed to grow; there was something ghostlike in his movements and there would be something demoniac in his manner. An when, as happened at times, his conversation became passionate, when he made a movement in the air with his stick or his umbrella as if he were fighting an invisible ghost, one was always reminded of a person from the imaginary circles of E. Th. A. Hofmann.

Weininger and the Nazis

Isolated parts of Weininger's writings were used by Nazi propaganda, despite the fact that Weininger actively argued against the ideas of race that came to be identified with the Nazis. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people On the other hand, Weininger's views on race cannot be reduced to a simplistic egalitarian liberalism: "A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the negroes, and the standard of their morality is almost universally so low that it is beginning to be acknowledged in America that their emancipation was an act of imprudence" (Sex and Character, New York: G. Negro is a term referring to people of Black African ancestry P. Putnam, 1906, p. 302). "Greatness is absent from the nature of the woman and the Jew, the greatness of morality, or the greatness of evil. In the Aryan man, the good and bad principles of Kant’s religious philosophy are ever present, ever in strife. The " Aryan race " is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries In the Jew and the woman, good and evil are not distinct from one another . . . It would not be difficult to make a case for the view that the Jew is more saturated with femininity than the Aryan, to such an extent that the most manly Jew is more feminine than the least manly Aryan. " (ibid. , p. 189).

[3] Nevertheless, Weininger's books were denounced by the Nazis, most probably because Weininger encouraged women to think for themselves, and to determine their own future, which went directly against the Nazi idea of the role of women in society. .

Weininger's Works

Further reading

External links

References

  1. ^ Nancy Harrowitz, Barbara Hyams (eds). Jews and Gender: Responses to Otto Weininger. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995 ISBN 1-56639-249-7
  2. ^ "Otto Weininger on the Internet", produced by the translator of Weininger's "Notebook and Letters to a Friend"
  3. ^ Hitler said, "Dietrich Eckart once told me that in all his life he had known just one good Jew: Otto Weininger, who killed himself on the day when he realized that the Jew lives upon the decay of peoples" - Adolf Hitler, Monologe im Führerhauptquartier. Dietrich Eckart ( 23 March 1868 - 26 December 1923) was a German politician one of the important early members of the National Socialist 1941-1944, ed. Werner Lochmann (Hamburg. 1980), 148. Hitler, after this noting of Eckart's appraisal, rejects the idea of a Jew having a redeemable quality even in Weininger’s reported self-loathing induced suicide, and simply insults his memory, saying "It is remarkable that the half-cast Jew, to the second or third generation, has a tendency to start flirting again with pure Jews. But from the seventh generation onwards, it seems the purity of the Aryan blood is restored. In the long run, nature eliminated the noxious elements. " An ironic statement for a man who also took his own life. - Hitler's Secret Conversations 1941-1944. Published by Signet Books, Copyright 1953 by Farrar, Straus and Young, Inc. , 1961, p. 156. [There is no evidence that Eckart has tried be factual in his account of Weininger's death. ]
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