From Hegel to Kant: Steinthal’s Evolving Reading of Humboldt

Abstract The paper aims to shed light on Heymann Steinthal’s ambiguous relationship to Humboldt. Examining the development of Steinthal’s interpretations and judgments of Humboldt’s work, the paper distinguishes three phases of this relationship. In the first, from the 1840s, Steinthal read Humboldt through the lens of Hegel’s philosophy and criticised the residual Kantianism in his work. In the second phase, from the 1850s to the 1870s, Steinthal’s growing interest in psychology gradually led him to develop a more positive evaluation of Kant’s work and to distance himself from Humboldt and Hegel, accusing them of dualism and the creation of hypostases. In the final phase, in the 1880s, work on the edition of Humboldt’s writings and a personal crisis led him to shift the focus of his inquiries to ethical themes and Kant’s practical philosophy. As a result, Steinthal reconsidered the significance of Humboldt’s philosophy, now highlighting its Kantian basis.