The Heidelberg school () refers to a philosophical school founded by Dieter Henrich which focuses on the problem of Self-consciousness. The term was introduced with critical intent by Ernst Tugendhat.
The origin of the Schule lies in the „Heidelberg years“ (1965–1981) of Dieter Henrich, in which he founded it with his programmatical philosophical works, together with his students Manfred Frank, Konrad Cramer and Ulrich Pothast begründete. The „Heidelberg school“ takes a diversified approach and draws on the traditions of German idealism, Neo-Kantianism, analytic philosophy and phenomenology.
Position
The essay Fichte’s Original Insight, published by Dieter Henrich in 1966 in the commemorative volume for Wolfgang Cramer, is considered the founding text of the Heidelberg School. In it, Henrich, following Fichte, concludes that the classical reflective theory of self-consciousness is untenable. The latter had attempted to explain self-consciousness as arising from the explicit turning of (unconscious) consciousness back upon itself. However, in order to turn back on itself, the self must know what it is relating to. It must therefore already possess self-knowledge—and thus self-consciousness—if it is to act reflexively. This leads the model of reflection—according to Fichte and Henrich—into a “vicious circle”. However, this not only fails to explain self-consciousness, but “consequently, there is no consciousness at all”.
Literature
Notes