Hengstberger Symposium in Heidelberg: Philosophy in the focus of science

Hengstberger Symposium in Heidelberg: Philosophy in the focus of science

The Hengstberger Symposium entitled “Construction and Experiment: Philosophical Method in Kant and German Idealism” will take place at the University of Heidelberg from September 1st to 4th, 2025. This symposium is dedicated to the scientific nature of philosophy and will bring together around 40 experts. In addition to renowned speakers, young scientists will also be present to shed light on the topic in detail.

The symposium is organized by Dr. Jelscha Schmid, academic advisor at the Ruperto Carola Philosophical Seminar, and Dr. Simon Schüz, research assistant at the Institute of Philosophy at the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau. Both received the Hengstberger Prize in 2024, which is awarded annually to three young scientists or teams of scientists for conducting an interdisciplinary symposium at the Heidelberg International Science Forum. The prize is endowed with 12,500 euros.

German idealism and its protagonists

The focus of the symposium is German Idealism, a philosophical movement that emerged in Germany at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. This movement developed from the work of Immanuel Kant in the 1780s and 1790s. German idealism is closely linked to romantic thinking and the revolutionary political ideas of the Enlightenment. Kant's philosophy, monumental in this period, limits knowledge to objects of possible experience and postulates that the true nature of reality remains unknowable to us. This restriction was interpreted by his successors, including Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, as a challenge to a more comprehensive epistemology.

Fichte rejected Kant's concept of the “thing-in-itself” and argued that subjectivity is the source of external reality. In contrast, Schelling stated that there is no difference between ideal and real representations. Hegel, in turn, developed the concept of absolute spirit and emphasized the importance of history and intersubjectivity in his philosophy. His influence on philosophical discussion can still be felt today.

The symposium aims to examine the reception and appropriation of scientific methods in this classic German philosophy. The function of the constructive and experimental approach is particularly emphasized. The event will take place predominantly in English and will provide a platform for both young scientists and established academics who want to engage with the topics of German idealism.

An interdisciplinary discourse

German idealism is not only a theoretical but also a historical movement, which, after Kant, is called post-Kantian idealism. This era not only shaped philosophy in Germany, but also had an influence in the United States, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here an intellectual elite looked for new answers to the challenges of their time and found them in the thoughts of the German idealists.

The lectures and discussions as part of the Hengstberger Symposium are intended to illustrate the ongoing relevance of this philosophical movement and to highlight the methodological approaches that are of central importance for understanding the scientific nature of philosophy. With a combination of established thinkers and fresh perspectives, this symposium will make a valuable contribution to the current philosophical debate.