It is with great sadness that we give notice of Professor Klaus Brinkmann’s passing away on November 1st.
Professor Brinkmann was a prominent scholar of classical German philosophy and Aristotle’s thought. Both his translation of Hegel’s Encyclopedia Logic, completed with Daniel O. Dahlstrom (Hegel’s Encyclopaedia Logic. Translation from the German, with Daniel O. Dahlstrom, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010) and his work as editor of a paramount volume on fundamental concepts of German Idealism (German Idealism: Critical Concepts in Philosophy, 4 vols., ed. Klaus Brinkmann, Abingdon: Routledge, 2007) will be long remembered. Together with these, we would like to recall his proficient book on the notion of objectivity in Kant’s and Hegel’s philosophy (Idealism Without Limits: Hegel and the Problem of Objectivity, Dordrecht-Heidelberg-London-
Professor Brinkmann taught and pursued his research activities in both Germany and the US. He was lecturer in philosophy at the University of Bonn in 1979-1982 and 1984-1988, and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Boston University (1982-1983) and at the University of Tübingen (1984-1989), before rejoining the faculty of Boston University as Associate Professor in 1990. He then became Emeritus Professor of the same faculty.
Professor Brinkmann was a great friend of Padua’s research group on classical German philosophy. He often visited our department in Padua to discuss his work, with special relation to the problem of objectivity in Hegel’s thought. He gave further testimony of his closeness to our resarch group through his contribution to the volume La filosofia classica tedesca. Le parole chiave, ed. by Luca Illetterati and Paolo Giuspoli, Roma: Carocci, 2015. In his article, Prof. Brinkmann conducted a deep and insightful analysis of the complex intertwining of ontological and epistemological aspects, which is carried by classical German philosophy’s notion of objectivity.
Professor Brinkmann was an extremely pleasant person, always open to help and willing to advise anyone in need. He refrained from conceit, haughtiness or superiority, and his honesty and sincerity are also reflected in the character of his works. With his death, the philosophical community loses a refined and brilliant scholar. The ones who had the chance to know him have lost a sincere friend and a faithful person. We would like to post the English version of an article he wrote for the volume La Filosofia Classica Tedesca. Le parole chiave in Professor Brinkmann’s memory.
Klaus Brinkmann, The Problem of Objectivity in Classical German Philosophy_Pdf
hegelpd – Classical German Philosophy. University of Padova Research Group