Richard David Precht facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard David Precht
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Precht in 2015
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| Born | 8 December 1964 |
| Education | University of Cologne |
| Awards | See Awards |
| Era | 21st-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
Richard David Precht (born December 8, 1964) is a German philosopher and a very successful author. He writes popular books about big ideas in philosophy. He also hosts a TV show called "Precht" on the ZDF channel.
He was a special professor of philosophy at Leuphana University of Lüneburg until October 2023. He is also a special professor at the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin. Richard David Precht's books became bestsellers after his book Wer bin ich – und wenn ja, wie viele? (which means Who am I – and if so, how many?) became very popular.
Richard David Precht's Life Story
Richard David Precht was born and grew up in Solingen, Germany. His father was born in Hanover in 1933, and his mother in Neuhof near Berlin in 1938.
Early Life and Education
After finishing high school at Gymnasium Schwertstraße, Precht did community service instead of military service. He then went to the University of Cologne. There, he studied philosophy, German language and literature, and art history. In 1994, he earned his doctorate degree in German studies. From 1991 to 1995, he worked as a research assistant. He helped with a project that studied how the mind works.
Career in Journalism
In 1997, Precht was a special fellow at the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Two years later, he received a scholarship for his work. In 2000 and 2001, he was a fellow at the European College of Journalism. He also won an award for his journalism about medical studies in 2001.
Precht has written articles for German newspapers and magazines. From 2002 to 2004, he wrote a regular column for a literary magazine called Literaturen. From 2005 to 2008, he hosted a radio show called Tageszeichen for WDR.
Richard David Precht has one son and three stepchildren.
Richard David Precht's Books
Precht has written both fiction books (stories) and non-fiction books (books based on facts).
Fiction Books
In 1999, Precht wrote a detective novel called Das Schiff im Noor with his brother. The story is set in 1985 on a Danish island. It's about a sunken ship and an old murder mystery. The book also explores deeper ideas about how things are organized. It was re-released in 2009 with a new title, Die Instrumente des Herrn Jörgensen.
His 2002 novel, Die Kosmonauten, tells a love story. It's about Georg and Rosalie, who meet in Cologne and move to Berlin in the early 1990s. Rosalie changes her mind about their bohemian lifestyle. She falls in love with someone else and leaves Georg for a more traditional life. At the end, their friend Leonhard dies in an accident. The book also tells the sad story of Sergei Krikalev, the last cosmonaut of the Soviet Union.
In 2005, Precht published an autobiographical book called Lenin kam nur bis zum Lüdenscheid – Meine kleine deutsche Revolution. In this book, he shares memories from his childhood in the 1970s. He grew up in a left-wing family. The book also looks at major political events in Germany during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. It describes the political ideas and daily life of that time. Many people liked the book. It was even made into a film in 2008.
Philosophical Books
In 1997, Precht's book Noahs Erbe was published. This book discusses how humans should treat animals. It talks about the ethical questions involved and how our actions affect society. Precht suggests we should change how we treat animals.
Who Am I – And If So, How Many?
Precht's most famous book is Wer bin ich – und wenn ja, wie viele? (Who am I – and if so, how many?). It was published in 2007. This book was meant to be an easy introduction to philosophy for young people. It connects ideas from brain research, psychology, and animal behavior studies. The book asks big questions like: What can I know? What should I do? What can I hope for?
This book became a huge success. It sold over 1,000,000 copies and was translated into 32 languages. It was the most successful non-fiction hardcover book in Germany in 2008.
Love – A Messy Feeling
In 2009, Precht wrote Liebe – ein unordentliches Gefühl (Love – a messy feeling). This book looks at love from a scientific and biological point of view. It also explores how our culture and psychology shape our understanding of love. Precht suggests that our need for closeness comes from our childhood relationships with our parents. He believes we often look for similar feelings in our romantic partners. This book was also on the bestseller list for many months.
The Art of Not Being an Egoist
Die Kunst kein Egoist zu sein (The Art of Not Being an Egoist) came out in 2010. This book has three parts: "good and evil," "wanting and doing," and "morality and society." Precht first explores what morality is, both philosophically and from an evolutionary perspective. He concludes that people generally want to feel good about themselves. In the second part, he looks at how people sometimes trick themselves into thinking they are good. In the third part, he discusses how these ideas affect our society today. He suggests that people should be more involved in their communities.
Why Is There Everything and Not Nothing?
Warum gibt es alles und nicht nichts?: Ein Ausflug in die Philosophie (Why Is There Everything and Not Nothing?: A Trip into Philosophy) was published in 2011. This book explains big philosophical questions in a simple way. It's good for both children and adults. Precht takes his son Oskar on a tour of Berlin. As they visit famous places, they talk about ethics, beauty, and consciousness.
Anna, School, and Dear God
Another popular non-fiction book by Precht is Anna, die Schule und der liebe Gott: Der Verrat des Bildungssystems an unseren Kindern. It was published in 2013. In this book, he shares his criticisms of the German school system.
Publishing Work
Since December 2010, Precht has been a co-publisher of the magazine agora42. He believes it's a problem that economists don't often study philosophy, and philosophers don't often study economics.
Awards
- 2011: IQ Award
See also
In Spanish: Richard David Precht para niños
