Eschenmayer, Adam Karl August von

ESCHENMAYER, ADAM KARL AUGUST VON (1768-1852), German philosopher and physicist, was born at Neuenburg in Wurttemberg in July 1768. After receiving his early education at the Caroline academy of Stuttgart, he entered the university of Tubingen, where he received the degree of doctor of medicine. He practised for some time as a physician at Sulz, and then at Kirchheim, and in 1811 he was chosen extraordinary professor of philosophy and medicine at Tubingen. In 1818 he became ESCHER VON DER LINTH— ESCOIQUIZ ordinary professor of practical philosophy, but in 1836 he resigned and took up his residence at Kirchhrim, where he devoted his whole attention to philosophical studies. Eschenmayer's views are largely identical with those of Schelling, but he differed from him in regard to the knowledge of the absolute. He believed that in order to complete the arc of truth philosophy must be supplemented by what he called " non-philosophy," a kind of mystical illumination by which was obtained a belief in God that could not be reached by mere intellectual effort (see Heffding, Hist, of Mod. Pkil., Eng. trans, vol. 2, p. 170).

He carried this tendency to mysticism into his physical researches, and was led by it to take a deep interest in the phenomena of animal magnetism. He ultimately became a devout believer in demoniacal and spiritual possession; and his later writings are all strongly impregnated with the lower supernaturalism. His principal works are — Die Philosophic in ihrem Vbertange tur Nuhtphilosophie (1803); Versuch die scheinbare Ifagie des thierisehm Marnttismus aus physiol. und psyckiichen Gesetten tu erUdren (1816); SysHm dtr Moral philosophte (1818); Psycholofie in drei Tkeilrn. alt tmptrische, rrine. angcwandle (1817, 2nd ed. 1822); KtmjlM tmistken Himmei und Holle, an den Damon tints btstssenen t/Uehens beobacklet (1837); Grundriss der Nalurphiiosophie (1832); Gntndtufe dtr chrisU. Philosophie (1840); and Bttrachtungtn ubtr den phynsehen Wtllbau (1852).