Ernst Tugendhat Cause of Death: Ernst Tugendhat, a renowned philosopher and one of the most prominent figures of contemporary philosophy, passed away on Monday in Freiburg at the age of 93.
Tugendhat was known for his contribution to introducing analytical philosophy of language to Germany during the 1970s. His works have left an indelible impact on modern philosophy and influenced an entire generation, according to fellow philosopher Jürgen Habermas.
Ernst Tugendhat Cause of Death, Obituary, Funeral
Born in Brno, Czech Republic in 1930 to Jewish parents, Tugendhat and his family were forced to flee from the Nazis in 1938, first to Switzerland and then to South America. After the war, he studied classical philology at Stanford University in California. He returned to Europe in 1949 to study the philosophy of Martin Heidegger and later attended Heidegger’s lectures in Freiburg after 1951.
Tugendhat taught philosophy in various German cities, including Freiburg, Heidelberg, Tübingen, and Berlin. In the 1970s, his lectures on linguistic-analytical philosophy became an integral part of philosophy’s history. One of his famous axioms was that by reflecting on fundamental linguistic structures, we could shed light on human understanding.
In the 1980s, Tugendhat became more interested in practical philosophy. He concluded that morality should be based on social contracts and not on idealistic concepts of liberty or metaphysical ideas of the absolute. He believed in the importance of equality and said that we should respect everyone equally and not instrumentalize anyone.
In 1992, Tugendhat returned to South America to teach in Santiago de Chile. He later returned to Europe and spent much of his retirement in Tübingen before moving to Freiburg in 2013, where he passed away.
Tugendhat always knew that attaining any certain philosophical truth was impossible. He once said, “I have always kept changing my opinions. I am like that with all questions: I am never finished.”
The world of philosophy has lost one of its most celebrated figures with the passing of Ernst Tugendhat. His contributions will be remembered for generations to come.
Source: Mckpage.com