Ernst Peter Wilhelm Troeltsch (; ; 17 February 1865 – 1 February 1923) was a German
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
Protestant theologian, a writer on the
philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known texts concerning ph ...
and the
philosophy of history
Philosophy of history is the philosophical study of history and its discipline. The term was coined by French philosopher Voltaire.
In contemporary philosophy a distinction has developed between ''speculative'' philosophy of history and ''crit ...
, and a
classical liberal politician. He was a member of the
history of religions school. His work was a synthesis of a number of strands, drawing on
Albrecht Ritschl,
Max Weber
Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German sociologist, historian, jurist and political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of modern Western society. His ideas profo ...
's conception of
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
, and the
Baden school
In late modern continental philosophy, neo-Kantianism (german: Neukantianismus) was a revival of the 18th-century philosophy of Immanuel Kant. The Neo-Kantians sought to develop and clarify Kant's theories, particularly his concept of the "thin ...
of
neo-Kantianism.
His "The Social Teachings of the Christian Church" (''Die Soziallehren der christlichen Kirchen und Gruppen'', 1912) is a seminal work in theology.
Life
Troeltsch was born on 17 February 1865 into a Lutheran family to a doctor but went to a Catholic school in a predominantly Catholic area. He then attended university, at the
University of Erlangen and then at the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
. His ordination in 1889 was followed in 1891 by a post teaching theology at Göttingen. In 1892, he moved on to teach at the
University of Bonn
The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...
. In 1894, he moved on again to
Heidelberg University
}
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
. Finally, in 1915, he transferred to teach at what is now the
University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...
, where he took the title of professor of philosophy and civilization. Troeltsch died on 1 February 1923.
Theology
Throughout Troeltsch's life, he wrote frequently of his belief that changes in society posed a threat to Christian religion and that "the disenchantment of the world" as described by sociologist
Max Weber
Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German sociologist, historian, jurist and political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of modern Western society. His ideas profo ...
was underway. At an academic conference that took place in 1896, after a paper on the doctrine of ''
logos
''Logos'' (, ; grc, wikt:λόγος, λόγος, lógos, lit=word, discourse, or reason) is a term used in Western philosophy, psychology and rhetoric and refers to the appeal to reason that relies on logic or reason, inductive and deductive ...
'', Troeltsch responded by saying, "Gentlemen, everything is tottering!"
Troeltsch sought to explain the decline of religion in the modern era by a description of the historical evolution of the role of religion in society. He described European civilization as having three periods:
ancient,
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
, and
modern
Modern may refer to:
History
* Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Phil ...
. Troeltsch's understanding of the border between the medieval and modern periods is revisionist. Instead of claiming that modernity starts with the rise of
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
, Troeltsch argues that early Protestantism should be understood as a continuation of the medieval period. The modern period starts much later on his account: in the seventeenth century. The Renaissance in Italy and the scientific revolution planted the seeds for the arrival of the modern period, and Protestantism delayed, rather than heralded, its onset. Protestantism, Troeltsch argued, was "in the first place, simply a modification of Catholicism, in which the Catholic formulation of the problems was retained, while a different answer was given to them".
Troeltsch saw the distinction between early and late (or "neo-") Protestantism as "the presupposition for any historical understanding of Protestantism".
Historiography
Troeltsch developed three principles pertaining to critical
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...
. Each of the principles served as a philosophical retort for the issue of the preconceived notions sustained by the historian. Troeltsch's principles (the principle of criticism, the principle of analogy, and the principle of correlation) were determined to account for the issue surrounding the biases of the historian.
Principle of criticism
Troeltsch's claim in the principle concludes that absolutes within history cannot exist. Troeltsch surmised that judgments about the past must be varied. As such, the absolute truth of historical reality could not exist, but he claimed historical situation could be examined only as more likely or less likely to have happened. In that, Troeltsch understood to never create a finite and non-revisable claim.
Principle of analogy
This principle pertains to averting the historian from applying anachronism to the past. Troeltsch understood that the probability in the former principle cannot be validated unless it is a historian's present situation, when assessing the probability, is not radically different from the past. In that, Troeltsch expects that human nature has been fairly constant throughout time, but that clause is still included as a form of accountability for the historian's narrative.
Principle of correlation
In regard to historical events, Troeltsch determined that humanity's historical life is interdependent upon each individual. Since the cumulative actions of individuals create historical events, there is a causal nature to all events that create an effect. Any radical event, the historian should assume, affected the historical nexus immediately surrounding that event. Troeltsch determines that in historical explanation, it is important to include antecedents and consequences of events in an effort to maintain historical events in their conditioned time and space.
Politics
Troeltsch was politically a
classical liberal and served as a member of the Parliament of the
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.
It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...
. In 1918, he joined the
German Democratic Party (DDP). He strongly supported Germany's role in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
: "Yesterday we took up arms. Listen to the
ethos
Ethos ( or ) is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution, and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to ...
that resounds in the splendour of heroism: To your weapons, To your weapons!"
Reception
In the immediate aftermath of Troeltsch's death, his work was considered passé and irrelevant. This was part of a wider rejection of
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
thought with the rise of
neo-orthodoxy
In Christianity, Neo-orthodoxy or Neoorthodoxy, also known as theology of crisis and dialectical theology, was a theological movement developed in the aftermath of the First World War. The movement was largely a reaction against doctrines of ...
in Protestant theology, especially with the prominence of
Karl Barth
Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Calvinist theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Declara ...
in the German-speaking world. From 1960 onwards, however, Troeltsch's thought has seen a revival of interest in academic circles with a variety of books being published on Troeltsch's theological and sociological work.
References
Sources
* Chapman, Mark. ''Ernst Troeltsch and Liberal Theology: Religion and Cultural Synthesis in Wilhelmine Germany'' (Oxford University Press 2002)
*Gerrish, B. A. (1975)
''Jesus, Myth, and History: Troeltsch's Stand in the "Christ-Myth" Debate'' ''
The Journal of Religion
''The Journal of Religion'' is an academic journal published by the University of Chicago Press founded in 1897 as ''The American Journal of Theology''. The journal "embraces all areas of theology ( biblical, historical, ethical, and constructive ...
'' 55 (1): 13–35.
* Pauck, Wilhelm. ''Harnack and Troeltsch: Two historical theologians'' (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015)
* Nix, Jr., Echol, ''Ernst Troeltsch and Comparative Theology'' (Peter Lang Publishing; 2010) 247 pages; a study of Troeltsch and the contemporary American philosopher and theologian Robert Neville (b. 1939).
*
Norton, Robert E. ''The Crucible of German Democracy. Ernst Troeltsch and the First World War'' (Mohr Siebeck 2021).
* Troesltch, Ernst, "Historiography" in James Hastings (ed.), Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1914), VI, 716–723.
* Troeltsch, Ernst, "Protestantism and Progress," (Transaction Publishers, 2013) with an Introduction - "Protestantism and Progress, Redux," by Howard G. Schneiderman.
External links
*
* G. Cantillo, Introduzione a Troeltsch,"I Filosofi", Laterza, Roma-Bari 2004.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troeltsch, Ernst
1865 births
1923 deaths
Writers from Augsburg
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
German Lutheran theologians
Kantian philosophers
Sociologists of religion
19th-century German Protestant theologians
Critics of the Christ myth theory
German classical liberals
German Democratic Party politicians
University of Augsburg alumni
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg alumni
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
University of Göttingen alumni
University of Göttingen faculty
University of Bonn faculty
Heidelberg University faculty
Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery
History of religions school