The Science of Man in Bohemia

Teodora Shek Brnardić, Croatian Institute of History

Graz, 29th July 2011

Menschenkenntnis or “the knowledge of man” in the works of Count Franz Joseph

Kinsky

COUNT FRANZ JOSEPH KINSKY (1739-1805)

BOHEMIAN PEDAGOGUE, GEOLOGIST AND AUSTRIAN GENERAL

„To be in charge of men – to lead them according to planned purposes assumes the the knowledge of manknowledge of man; and this in turn assumes thethe self-self-knowledgeknowledge. The one who is too sluggish, too absent-minded, too ignorant to study his own basic desires, aptitudes, inclinations, passions – in short himself – is he going to develop the human heart among the troops?“ (Für Weltrekruten, 1783)

Major pedagogical and military works1773 – Erinnerung über einen wichtigen Gegenstand von einem Böhmen (Prague)

1776 – Über die Hofmeister (Prague)

1781 – Für Weltrekruten (Vienna)

1785-88 – Des Grafen Franz Kinsky gesamlete Scriften (6 volumes) (Vienna)

-reviews in Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek, Der Teutsche Merkur, Litteratur des katholischen Deutschland, Ephemeriden der Menschheit, Neues militärisches Journal, Braunschweigisches Journal, Berlinische Sammlungen

-translations in Italian, Polish

The Contexts of Kinsky’s worksThe context of treatises on private education

1771 – the last great famine in Bohemia, half a million people died (12 % of total population)

1775 – the greatest peasant uprising in Bohemia in the eighteenth century:

JOSEPH II STEERING THE PLOUGH IN SLAVIKOVICE, 1769

The Contexts of Kinsky’s works

The context of treatises on military education

1779 – appointed as the Localdirektor of the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt

1785 – appointed as the Oberdirektor of the Theresian Military Academy (till the death in 1805)

THE THERESIAN MILITARY ACADEMY TODAY

THE STATUE OF COUNT KINSKY

The Education of Man

MANMAN

SOULSOUL BODYBODY

MORAL EDUCATIONMORAL EDUCATION NATURAL (PHYSICAL) EDUCATION

NATURAL (PHYSICAL) EDUCATION

INSTRUCTION IN MORALITY

INSTRUCTION IN MORALITY

INSTRUCTION IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES

INSTRUCTION IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES

RELIGIONRELIGION

DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES

DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES

SOCIAL DUTIES (TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOURS)

SOCIAL DUTIES (TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOURS)

„All true morality is grounded in RELIGION and flows from its principles“. (Erinnerung, 1773)

The Sensualist Psychology

• the Lockean epistemology and psychology with the basis in SENSATION:

JOHN LOCKE - together with Francis Bacon one of Kinsky’s most favourite authors

EXPERIENCE – the source of all knowledge

SENSES

EXTERNAL OBJECTS

MIND

The Education of the Heart and the Primacy of Sentiments

• the education of the heart, that is, moral education is more important than learning

• the importance of fostering love, compassion and gratitude in social relationsCHARLES BONNET

–recommended for reading by Kinsky

The Moral Bible

Kinsky:

• EGOISM and PRIDE – detrimental

• HOLY SCRIPTURE – unmistakable guideline for preaching virtue ADAM AND EVE

EXPELLED FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN

The Best for Society – Christian vs. Philosophical Knowledge of Man

Frederick the Great – “The powerful motive which we are seeking is self-love, - this guaranty of self-preservation, this founder of our happiness, this inexahaustible source of our vices and virtues, this secret spring of all human action.” (Essay on Self-Love, 1770)

Franz Joseph Kinsky – “Religion obliges everybody on the basis of the true quality of man to serve the common good (gemeinnützig zu sein) according to his powers and circumstances.” (Report on the Stuttgart Military Academy, 1778)