author
Hermann Cohen
1842–1918
A leading voice in neo-Kantian philosophy, this German Jewish thinker helped shape the Marburg school and brought questions of ethics, reason, and religion into sharp modern focus. His work connects rigorous philosophy with a deep concern for moral life and Jewish thought.
1 Audiobook
Der Begriff der Religion im System der Philosophie
by Hermann Cohen
About the author
Born in Coswig, Anhalt, on July 4, 1842, Hermann Cohen became one of the central figures in German philosophy of his time. He studied in Breslau, Berlin, and Halle, and later taught for many years at the University of Marburg, where he helped establish the Marburg school of neo-Kantianism.
Cohen is best known for developing a demanding, systematic reading of Kant that emphasized logic, ethics, and the role of reason rather than metaphysical speculation. His major philosophical works include studies of logic, ethics, and aesthetics, and his influence reached well beyond his own generation.
Later in life, he also became an important voice in modern Jewish thought. Alongside his academic philosophy, he wrote on Judaism and religion in ways that linked ethical responsibility with religious tradition, making him an important bridge between German philosophy and modern Jewish intellectual history.