# easy german philosopher?



## Davidius (Feb 9, 2008)

I'm tired of the German department not offering anything interesting. In the undergraduate bulletin are listed some interesting courses, but it seems like all I ever see offered is stuff like "Global Queer Cinema." With my turn in focus towards Latin and Greek I have mostly dusted my feet off to the German department (I'm not even taking a class this semester and will just be taking the one more which I'll have to take to finish the major next semester). Since I want to keep my German up to speed I'm looking for some philosophical literature to read in my spare time. I've heard Kant can be terribly hard to read. Does anyone know of a German philosopher who isn't quite so bad in the original?


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## RamistThomist (Feb 9, 2008)

I would guess Neechee would be a good road. I heard he did a good job with the language.


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## turmeric (Feb 9, 2008)

Not a philosopher, but Goethe should be beautiful to read. And Luther would be interesting, though perhaps archaic. Karl Marx is probably an easire read than Engels or Hegel. I'm not recommending them by theology, obviously!


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## DMcFadden (Feb 10, 2008)

Are you open to German theologians? Some of the persons cited (Marx, Hegel, etc.) would qualify as philosophers but make for fairly tedious reads. I would think that some of the theological literature would be more spiritually beneficial. Hegelian idealism isn't even fun to read in English.

If you have your heart set on a philospher, why not Nietzsche? _Jenseits von Gut und Böse_ would be a resaonable choice. Nietzsche is always good for a happy yippy-skippy read (Not!). Still, he was quite important. _Der Wille zur Macht_ has been cited so often by moderns that you might want to read it too, although it consisted of his notes edited by his sister.

I vote for something by a theologian rather than getting bogged down in 20th century German philosophy at all. But, if you want philosophy, try an earlier one such as Nietszche.

BTW, if you really want to see the logic of the father of liberal theology on display, Schleiermacher's _Der christliche Glaube _or (for an easier read)_ Aus Schleiermachers Leben in Briefen _. Much of what Barth wrote in his Church Dogmatics was an attempt to counter Schleiermacher. For that matter, if you have infinite patience for dialetical reasoning, you could read Barth's _Die Kirchliche Dogmatik_. He was Swiss and KD is in German. I would recommend 4/1. If you want to read a commentary more about Barth than Paul, try his _Römerbrief_ which made a huge historical splash in 1919.


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## Cheshire Cat (Feb 10, 2008)

Easy German Philosopher = Oxymoron


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## Reformed Covenanter (Feb 10, 2008)

joshua said:


> I'd opt for German beer instead.



 Best not to read any of them (Col. 2:8) unless you are thoroughly grounded in a Christian worldview.


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## Anton Bruckner (Feb 10, 2008)

Daniel Ritchie said:


> joshua said:
> 
> 
> > I'd opt for German beer instead.
> ...


you're correct. I wouldn't even touch Niszcthie and Kant except for a summary of what they believe.


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## RamistThomist (Feb 10, 2008)

I like Neechee. He is the best expression of the 20th century mind. Combine him with Bahnsen and you can stand down any want-to-be upperclass elitist who denies God but still values "morality."


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## etexas (Feb 10, 2008)

Cheshire Cat said:


> Easy German Philosopher = Oxymoron


You beat me too it!


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