Rudolph Goclenius facts for kids
Rudolph Goclenius the Elder (born Rudolf Gockel; 1 March 1547 – 8 June 1628) was an important German philosopher. He is often known for helping to make the word "psychology" popular in 1590. Psychology is the study of the mind. Goclenius also made big contributions to a field called ontology. Ontology is the study of what exists and the nature of being. He built on many ideas from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Many of Goclenius's ideas were later used and expanded by other thinkers.
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Life of Rudolph Goclenius
Rudolph Goclenius was born in Korbach, which is now part of Hesse, Germany.
He went to universities in Erfurt, Marburg, and Wittenberg. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1571. After his studies, he became the head of schools (called gymnasiums) in Korbach and Kassel. In 1581, a ruler named Landgrave Wilhelm IV allowed him to become a professor. Goclenius taught many subjects at the Philipps University of Marburg. These subjects included physics, logic, mathematics, and ethics. He also advised Wilhelm and his son Moritz. In 1618, Moritz sent him to an important meeting called the Synod of Dort.
Even though he helped make the word "psychology" famous, his biggest work was in ontology. Goclenius followed the ideas of Aristotle. He gave the study of ontology its name and continued Aristotle's way of thinking. Many people believe he helped develop the philosophical study of ontology in the 1600s.
A writer named Johann Balthasar Schupp once wrote a funny story about Goclenius. Schupp said that Goclenius, when he was old, thought his book Analecta was the best book he had ever written.
A student named Jeremias Nicolai said that Goclenius quickly wrote a poem. This poem was about "fiery air phenomena" seen in the city on November 14, 1574. This poem was published that same year. Some historians think these bright lights might have been an aurora. Goclenius later wrote about auroras in a physics textbook in 1604.
Goclenius passed away in Marburg on June 8, 1628. At his funeral, Wolfgang Loriseca praised him highly. He called Goclenius a "leader of today's philosophers" and a "European light."
Goclenius's Family Life
Goclenius married his first wife, Margarethe, in 1570. A lawyer named Abraham Saur wrote about their wedding in his diary. He noted that the wedding happened when the sun entered the sign of Taurus. Astrologers believed this was a good time to get married.
His oldest son, Rudolph Goclenius the Younger, was born from this marriage. His son also became a professor in Marburg. He was a famous mathematician. A crater on the Moon is named after Rudolph Goclenius the Younger. He also worked on ways to cure the plague. He became well-known for a special "weapon salve" or Powder of Sympathy that people believed could heal wounds from a distance. Other family members also became important in fields like medicine and law.
Goclenius's Philosophical Ideas
Goclenius had a disagreement with another scholar about the fairness of ordeal by water in witch trials. From this, we can see that Goclenius believed in the existence of witchcraft. He also agreed with ideas from the book Malleus Maleficarum, which was about witchcraft.
His ideas were very similar to those of Aristotle. Goclenius belonged to a group of philosophers called "Semiramists." These were followers of Aristotle who liked to interpret his teachings in a certain way. They also supported the ideas of another philosopher named Ramus. Goclenius even wrote a poem about Ramus's death when he was a school head. Other scholars also saw Goclenius as a supporter of Ramus.
Goclenius is said to have believed that only a few philosophers were needed to fill a philosopher's bookshelf. He mentioned Aristotle, Scaliger, Zabarella, and Schegk as the most important ones.
Goclenius's Works
In his book "Philosophical Inquiries," published in 1599, Goclenius created a table. This table divided philosophical ideas and liberal arts into different areas of knowledge. This helped classify his many works. He used the word ontology in his Lexicon philosophicum (1613). This term was first used by Jacob Lorhard in his book Ogdoas Scholastica (1606).
Psychology Contributions
Goclenius's major works also included publications that led to the term "psychology" becoming widely known. In 1586, the word "psychologicae" (meaning "psychological") appeared in two academic discussions led by Goclenius at Marburg University. His book Psychologia: hoc est, de hominis perfectione, animo, et in primis ortu hujus was published in 1590. This was the first book to have the word "psychology" in its title.
The 1590 Psychologia book contained parts of other writings from 1579 to 1589. The full title of the book means "Psychology: that is, on the perfection of man, his mind, and especially its origin, the comments and discussions of certain theologians & philosophers of our time who are shown on the turned page." Here, "psychology" meant both the subject of study (the human mind) and the study itself (the discussions by scholars). In the 1600s, many scholars read and quoted Goclenius's Psychologia. Goclenius himself referred back to his Psychologia in a science textbook from 1604.
Logic and the Sorites
Goclenius also made an important contribution to term logic. This was a type of logic called the Goclenian Sorites. A sorites is a chain of arguments where the conclusion of one argument becomes a part of the next. It helps to build a long chain of reasoning.
While some people thought Goclenius invented this specific type of sorites, others believe that St. Thomas Aquinas had described a similar idea much earlier. Goclenius's work helped to make this logical method more clear and widely used.
See also
In Spanish: Rodolfo Goclenio para niños
