Heymann Steinthal
Encyclopedia
Heymann or Hermann Steinthal (born at Gröbzig
, Anhalt
, May 16, 1823; died at Berlin
March 14, 1899) was a German philologist and philosopher.
He studied philology
and philosophy
at the University of Berlin, and was in 1850 appointed Privatdozent of philology and mythology at that institution. He was a pupil of Wilhelm von Humboldt
, whose Sprachwissenschaftliche Werke he edited in 1884. From 1852 to 1855 Steinthal resided in Paris, where he devoted himself to the study of Chinese
, and in 1863 he was appointed assistant professor at the Berlin University; from 1872 he was also privat-dozent in critical history of the Old Testament
and in religious philosophy at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums. In 1860 he founded, together with his brother-in-law Moritz Lazarus
, the Zeitschrift für Völkerpsychologie und Sprachwissenschaft, in which was established the new science of racial psychology. Steinthal was one of the directors (from 1883) of the Deutsch-Israelitische Gemeindebund, and had charge of the department of religious instruction in various small congregations.
The first volume of his Gesammelte Kleine Schriften
appeared at Berlin in 1880.
Gröbzig
' is a town and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 September 2010, it is part of the town Südliches Anhalt. It is situated southwest of the district capital of Köthen ....
, Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
, May 16, 1823; died at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
March 14, 1899) was a German philologist and philosopher.
He studied philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Berlin, and was in 1850 appointed Privatdozent of philology and mythology at that institution. He was a pupil of Wilhelm von Humboldt
Wilhelm von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand Freiherr von Humboldt was a German philosopher, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of Humboldt Universität. He is especially remembered as a linguist who made important contributions to the philosophy of language and to the theory and practice...
, whose Sprachwissenschaftliche Werke he edited in 1884. From 1852 to 1855 Steinthal resided in Paris, where he devoted himself to the study of Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, and in 1863 he was appointed assistant professor at the Berlin University; from 1872 he was also privat-dozent in critical history of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and in religious philosophy at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums. In 1860 he founded, together with his brother-in-law Moritz Lazarus
Moritz Lazarus
Moritz Lazarus , born at Filehne, in the Prussian province of Posen, was a German philosopher, psychologist, and a vocal opponent of the anti-Semitism of his time.- Life and education :...
, the Zeitschrift für Völkerpsychologie und Sprachwissenschaft, in which was established the new science of racial psychology. Steinthal was one of the directors (from 1883) of the Deutsch-Israelitische Gemeindebund, and had charge of the department of religious instruction in various small congregations.
Works
Steinthal's principal works are:- Die Sprachwissenschaft W. von Humboldts und die Hegel'sche Philosophie (Berlin, 1848)
- Klassifikation der Sprachen, dargestellt als die Entwickelung der Sprachidee (ib. 1850), which appeared in 1860 under the title Charakteristik der Hauptsächlichre, edited and enlarged by the author and Misteli, as the second volume of the Abriss der Sprachwissenschaft (ib. 1893)
- Der Ursprung der Sprache im Zusammenhang mit den Letzten Fragen Alles Wissens (ib. 1851, 4th enlarged ed. 1888)
- Die Entwickelung der Schrift (ib. 1852)
- Grammatik, Logik, Psychologie: Ihre Prinzipien und Ihre Verhältniss zu Einander (ib. 1855)
- Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft bei den Griechen und Römern (ib. 1863, 2d ed. 1889-91)
- Philologie, Geschichte und Psychologie in Ihren Gegenseitigen Beziehungen (ib. 1864)
- Die Mande-Negersprachen, Psychologisch und Phonetisch Betrachtet (ib. 1867)
- Abriss der Sprachwissenschaft (vol. I: Einleitung in die Psychologie und Sprachwissenschaft, ib. 1871; 2d ed. 1881)
- Allgemeine Ethik (ib. 1885)
- Zu Bibel und Religionsphilosophie (ib. 1890; new series, 1895), consisting mainly of lectures delivered before the Gesellschaft der Freunde for the benefit of the Lehranstalt für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums.
The first volume of his Gesammelte Kleine Schriften
Kleine Schriften
is a German phrase often used as a title for a collection of articles and essays written by a single scholar over the course of a career. "Collected Papers" is an English equivalent. These shorter works were usually published previously in various periodicals or in collections of papers written...
appeared at Berlin in 1880.
Article References
- By Isidore SingerIsidore SingerIsidore Singer was an editor of the Jewish Encyclopedia and founder of the American League for the Rights of Man.-Biography:...