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Edition 37 (2000) Winner
Kurt Flasch
クルト・フラッシュ
Kurt Flasch
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1930-03-12 （Mainz, Germany）
- Nationality
- Germany
- Languages
- German
- Residence History
- Mainz (birth and childhood) → Bochum (Professor at Ruhr University Bochum)
Career
- Occupations
- philosopher, historian of medieval thought, university professor, author
- Active Years
- 1956-
- Affiliations
- Ruhr University Bochum, Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities (member), Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
- Memberships
- Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Deutsche Akademie für Language and Literature (Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung)
- Influenced By
- Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, Nicholas of Cusa
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Frankfurt | — | — | Ph.D. | — | Germany |
University of Frankfurt
Degree:
Ph.D.
Year of Graduation:
1956
Country:
Germany
PhD in medieval philosophy (dissertation published 1956; source uncertain)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sigmund Freud Prize | — | — | Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Honorary Doctorate, University of Lucerne | — | — | University of Lucerne | 授与 |
| 2009 | Hannah Arendt Prize | — | — | Awarding organization (various) | 受賞 |
| 2010 | Honorary Doctorate, University of Basel | — | — | University of Basel | 授与 |
| 2012 | Joseph Breitbach Prize | — | — | Joseph Breitbach Foundation / awarding academy | 受賞 |
Sigmund Freud Prize
2000
Organization:
Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctorate, University of Lucerne
2002
Organization:
University of Lucerne
Result:
授与
Hannah Arendt Prize
2009
Organization:
Awarding organization (various)
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctorate, University of Basel
2010
Organization:
University of Basel
Result:
授与
Joseph Breitbach Prize
2012
Organization:
Joseph Breitbach Foundation / awarding academy
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Meister Eckhart: Philosopher of Christianity
2010 philosophy / intellectual historyA study of Meister Eckhart's thought, situating him within Christian contexts and the influence of Arabic philosophy, elucidating the relationship between medieval mysticism and reason.
medieval Christian thoughtmysticismreason and faith
Translations
- English translation (Yale University Press, 2015)
Ordo dicitur multipliciter
1956 academic study / history of philosophyA study of the concept of 'ordo' (order) in Thomas Aquinas; published in 1956.
Thomas Aquinasconcept of ordermedieval philosophy
Philosophical Thought in the Middle Ages
1986 intellectual history / overviewAn overview of major themes and developments in medieval philosophy, discussing their intellectual background and historical significance.
medieval philosophyoverviewintellectual history
Bibliography
- Ordo dicitur multipliciter: A Study on the Philosophy of 'ordo' in Thomas Aquinas (1956)
- The Metaphysics of the One in Nicholas of Cusa: Historical Problems and Systematic Significance (1973)
- Philosophical Thought in the Middle Ages (1986)
- Introduction to the Philosophy of the Middle Ages (1987)
- Augustine: Introduction to His Thought (1988)
- Enlightenment in the Middle Ages: The Condemnation of 1277 (1989)
- Logic of Terror: Augustine of Hippo, The Doctrine of Grace of 397 (1990)
- Poetry after the Plague: The Beginning of the Decameron (1992)
- Nicholas of Cusa: History of a Development (1998)
- The Intellectual Mobilization: German Intellectuals and the First World War (2000)
- Over the Bridge: Mainz Childhood 1930–1949 (2002)
- Reason and Pleasure: Love Stories from the Decameron (2002)
- Philosophy Has History (2003)
- What Is Time? Augustine of Hippo: Book XI of the Confessions (2004)
- Eve and Adam: Transformations of a Myth (2005)
- Meister Eckhart: The Birth of 'German Mysticism' from the Spirit of Arabic Philosophy (2006)
- Dietrich of Freiberg: Philosophy, Theology, Natural Research around 1300 (2007)
- Battlegrounds of Philosophy: Great Controversies from Augustine to Voltaire (2008)
- Meister Eckhart: Philosopher of Christianity (2010)
- Commedia and an Invitation to Read Dante (2011)
- What Is God? The Book of the 24 Philosophers (2011)
- Why I Am Not a Christian: Report and Argumentation (2013)
- The Devil and His Angels: History of a Seduction (2015)
- Catholic Pioneers of National Socialism (2021)
Translations of Works
- Meister Eckhart: Philosopher of Christianity (German → English, Yale University Press, 2015)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly and historically contextualized expositionclear and accessible prose for scholarly worksargumentative and evidential style
- Recurring Motifs
- medieval thought and its influence on modernityre-evaluation of Augustine and Thomistic debatesintersection of mysticism and philosophy
Legacy
Kurt Flasch is a German philosopher and intellectual historian known for his work on medieval thought and classical philosophy. He is respected both for specialist scholarship and for accessible introductions, has received multiple honorary doctorates and awards, and has influenced the academic field as a member of several national and international academies.
Academic Societies
- Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
Archives
- German National Library (collections)
- University archives (e.g., Ruhr University Bochum)
Trivia
- Born in Mainz in 1930.
- Served as a professor at Ruhr University Bochum.
- Received the Sigmund Freud Prize in 2000.
- Holds multiple honorary doctorates (University of Lucerne, University of Basel).
- Known for studies on medieval philosophy, notably Augustine and Meister Eckhart.