Richard Kroner

Professor of Philosophy, University of Kiel

The Primacy of Faith

In his series of lectures, Kroner explores the differences between science and religion, arguing that science attempts to discover the way nature operates, and religion appeals to the mysterious nature of human life. By examining the mediaeval harmony between philosophy and religion, Kroner observes that this was disrupted by heavy criticism from Luther and Kant. He concludes that the ‘logic of the heart’ reveals that the victory of truth and goodness can only be accomplished through faith. 

Biography

Richard Kroner was born on 8 March 1884 in Wrocław (Breslau), Poland. A German neo-Hegelian philosopher, he authored Von Kant bis Hegel, a classical history of German idealism, and formulated Hegel as ‘the Protestant Aquinas’. Under Nazi legislation, his Jewish ancestry led to his suspension from his position at Kiel. He was replaced by Hans-Georg Gadamer, a friend. American philosopher Otis Lee studied with Kroner in 1933 and aided his escape to the United States, where he took a position at Manhattan’s Union Theological Seminary. 

Kroner’s ideas on Hegel, including his influence from Kierkegaard, were adopted by some existentialist thinkers, including Lev Shestov and Nikolai Berdyaev. Prominent works include Zweck und Gesetz in der Biologie. Eine logische Untersuchung (1913), Kant’s Weltanschauung (1914), Hegel zum 100. Todestag (1932), Die Selbstverwirklichung des Geistes. Prolegomena zur Kulturphilosopie (1928), Speculation in Pre-Christian Philosophy (1957), Selbstbesinnung. Drei Lehrstunden (1958), Speculation and Revelation in Modern Philosophy (1961), Between Faith and Thought: Reflections and Suggestions (1966), and Freiheit und Gnade (1969).

Published/Archival Resources
Published as The Primacy of Faith.