Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld (8 March 1824 – 27 October 1893) was a German pedagogue. A practising teacher, Dörpfeld never held a position at a university but was still considered a pedagogical authority. Dörpfeld applied the Herbartian philosophy to the level of elementary school. His Herbartianism was influenced by German Romanticism and therefore had strong religious undertones. Nevertheless, Dörpfeld defended the self-governance of schools against both secular and religious authorities. After retiring, Dörpfeld devoted himself to writing, most importantly The Connection Between Thought and Memory (Denken und Gedächtnis: eine psychologische Monographie, 1886). He was father to Wilhelm Dörpfeld, the archaeologist, and Anna Carnap-Dörpfeld, the mother of Rudolf Carnap. Dörpfeld's work is said to have influenced Carnap's philosophy.
Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 8 March 1824  Wermelskirchen |
| Died | 27 October 1893 (aged 69) Ronsdorf |
| Occupation | Pedagogue |
| Movement | Herbartianism |
| Children | Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Anna Carnap-Dörpfeld |
Early life
editDörpfeld was born in Sellscheid near Wermelskirchen, Prussia on 8 March 1824 to Johann Wilhelm Dörpfeld, a farmer and hammersmith, and his wife Anna Wilhelmine Jung.[1]
He attended a teachers' seminary in Mörs (Moers).[2] In 1848, he became a teacher at an elementary school in Heidt, near Ronsdorf. His talent was quickly noticed and he transferred to another elementary school in Barmen the following year.[3] He worked there for 30 years, eventually becoming the school's principal.[2][4]
Pedagogy
editDörpfeld adopted the pedagogical methods of Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776–1841), called Herbartianism, and applied them to the elementary school level.[2] Herbart's philosophy viewed individuals as always socially situated, molded by their environment, and subject to study only through empirical means. The individual's self-development should be an end in itself, without it being subordinate to the needs of the church or even of educational institutions. During Dörpfeld's time, these lofty "quasi-Enlightenment" ideals had given way to German Romanticism, and Dörpfeld and his contemporaries developed Herbartianism to that direction. Thus, to Dörpfeld the situatedness of the individual meant his relationship with original sin and, overall, religious themes were emphasized.[5]
Dörpfeld emphasized the social aspects of schooling even more than Herbart, and was convinced that sociology should not be taught as a distinct discipline but should instead inform the teaching of subjects such as history and geography. Moreover, Dörpfeld believed that schools should be completely self-governing in internal matters and free from influence of both secular and church authorities.[2] He was staunchly opposed to the tendencies of bureaucratization and centralization in Prussian schools on the elementary and secondary levels.[6] In spite of being a highly respected authority on pedagogy, Dörpfeld never had a position at a university.[4]
Dörpfeld retired in 1880 because of asthma and focused on writing, his most important work being The Connection Between Thought and Memory (Denken und Gedächtnis: eine psychologische Monographie, 1886). He died on 27 October 1893 in Ronsdorf.[2][3] Dörpfeld also wrote widely on pedagogy, psychology, and philosophy; for example On Ethics (Zur Ethik, published 1895), which is considered his most important philosophical work.[4] He founded the journal Evangelische Schulblatt in 1857 and managed it actively until his death.[7]
A 10-volume posthumous edition of Dörpfeld's works was published by the C. Bertelsmann Verlag.[4] His "writings still belong to the canon of German educational classics".[8]
Personal life
editDörpfeld married Christine Keller in 1851. The couple had two sons and four daughters.[3] One of the sons, Wilhelm Dörpfeld, was a famous archaeologist.[2] The eldest daughter, Anna Carnap-Dörpfeld, was the mother of the analytic philosopher Rudolf Carnap.[8] Anna used his father's Herbartian methods when homeschooling Rudolf.[9] According to Christian Damböck, Carnap was familiar with his grandfather's work, which had an influence on his own philosophy. Anna also wrote a two-volume biography of Dörpfeld.[4]
References
edit
- ^ Schoelen 1959, p. 35.
- ^ a b c d e f Encyclopedia Britannica 2024.
- ^ a b c Wuppertal.de n.d.
- ^ a b c d e Damböck 2022, p. 24.
- ^ Carus 2007, pp. 42–43.
- ^ Carus 2007, p. 43.
- ^ Sander 1904, p. 48.
- ^ a b Carus 2007, p. 41.
- ^ Carus 2007, pp. 43–44.
Works cited
edit- Carus, A. W. (2007). Carnap and Twentieth-Century Thought: Explication as Enlightenment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 41. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511487132.004. ISBN 978-0-521-86227-1. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- Damböck, Christian (2022). "Carnap's Non-cognitivism and His Views on Religion, Against the Background of the Herbartian Philosophy of His Grandfather Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld". In Ramharter, Esther (ed.). The Vienna Circle and Religion. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook. Vol. 25. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 23–39. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-76151-6_2. ISBN 978-3-030-76150-9.
- "Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld". Encyclopedia Britannica. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- Sander, Ferdinand (1904). "Dörpfeld, Friedrich Wilhelm". Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. 48. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 47–49.
- Schoelen, Eugen (1959). "Dörpfeld, Friedrich Wilhelm". Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. 4. p. 35. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- "Ein Pädagoge mit Leib und Seele: Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld". Wuppertal.de (in German). n.d. Retrieved 27 August 2024.