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Hans-Georg Gadamer

ハンス＝ゲオルク・ガダマー

Hans-Georg Gadamer

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1900-02-11 （Marburg, Province of Hesse-Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire）
Died
2002-03-13 （Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany） age 102
Nationality
German
Languages
German
Religion
Protestant

Career

Occupations
philosopher, university professor
Active Years
1922-2002
Affiliations
University of Marburg (lecturer/professor), Leipzig University (professor), Goethe University Frankfurt (professor), University of Heidelberg (chair of philosophy)
Influenced By
Martin Heidegger, Paul Natorp, Nicolai Hartmann, Edmund Husserl
Influenced
Charles Guignon, Emilio Lledó, Gianni Vattimo, Jürgen Habermas

Education

University of Breslau
Classics and Philosophy
Country: German Empire
Studied under Richard Hönigswald; later moved to Marburg
University of Marburg
Philosophy
Degree: 博士（PhD）
Period: 1919–1922
Year of Graduation: 1922
Country: Germany
Completed dissertation under Paul Natorp in 1922 ('The Essence of Pleasure in Plato's Dialogues')
University of Freiburg
Philosophy
Period: 1922–1924
Country: Germany
Studied with Martin Heidegger and was influenced by him

Awards

Pour le Mérite
1971
Organization: Pour le Mérite
Result: 受賞
Reuchlin Prize
1971
Organization: Reuchlin Prize
Result: 受賞
Great Cross of Merit with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
1972
Organization: Federal Republic of Germany
Result: 受賞
Sigmund Freud Prize (for scientific prose)
1979
Organization: German academic institutions
Result: 受賞
Hegel Prize
1979
Organization: City of Stuttgart
Result: 受賞
Karl Jaspers Prize
1986
Organization: Karl Jaspers Foundation
Result: 受賞
Great Cross of Merit with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit
1990
Organization: Federal Republic of Germany
Result: 受賞
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
1993
Organization: Federal Republic of Germany
Result: 受賞
Honorary member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences
1996
Organization: Saxon Academy of Sciences (Leipzig)
Result: 任命
Honorary doctorates (multiple universities)
1995
Organization: Various universities (Boston College, University of Wrocław, University of Leipzig, etc.)
Result: 授与

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Truth and Method

1960 Philosophy (Hermeneutics)

A major work on the nature of human understanding. Gadamer critiques method-centered approaches in the human sciences, emphasizes historically effected consciousness and introduces concepts such as the 'fusion of horizons.'

hermeneuticstraditionhistorical consciousnessdialogue
Translations
  • English translation (1st ed. 1975; revised edition 1989)

The Enigma of Health: The Art of Healing in a Scientific Age

19 Philosophy (philosophy of medicine)

Philosophical reflections on medicine and healing, examining the art of treatment and the meaning of being healed.

philosophy of medicinehealingpractice and art
Translations
  • English translation (1996)

Plato's Dialectical Ethics

Philosophy (Classical philosophy)

Studies Plato's dialogues through the lens of phenomenology and Heideggerian thought.

Plato studiesdialectic

Bibliography

  • Truth and Method
  • The Enigma of Health
  • Plato's Dialectical Ethics
  • Philosophical Apprenticeships (memoirs)

Translations of Works

  • Truth and Method (English translations: 1975; revised 1989)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly and discursivedialogical (referencing Socratic dialogue)conceptual and hermeneutical
Recurring Motifs
tradition and historicityfusion of horizonsdialogue and responseimportance of aesthetic experience

Health

  • poliomyelitis (polio)
    1922–以降
    Contributed to exemption from military service and likely caused some lasting physical limitations
  • Early death of mother (diabetes)
    1904（幼年期）
    Gadamer noted this childhood experience may have influenced his decision away from natural sciences

Legacy

Gadamer is a central figure in contemporary philosophical hermeneutics; 'Truth and Method' has profoundly influenced the humanities, ethics, aesthetics, and communication theory. His emphasis on tradition and dialogue has sparked wide interdisciplinary debate.

Academic Societies

  • Hans-Georg Gadamer Society (Gadamer-Gesellschaft)
  • Saxon Academy of Sciences (honorary member)

Archives

  • University of Heidelberg archives (Gadamer papers and related materials)

Quotes

  • My real concern was and is philosophic: not what we do or what we ought to do, but what happens to us over and above our wanting and doing.
    Source: Truth and Method (1960)

Trivia

  • He celebrated his 100th birthday with a ceremony at the University of Heidelberg in 2000.
  • He held the chair of philosophy at the University of Heidelberg (1949–1968) and remained as emeritus until his death.
  • Died in Heidelberg at the age of 102.