Frederik Christian Sibbern
FC Sibbern 1785-1872 was one of two philosophy professors at the
University of Copenhagen while Kierkegaard was a student. He was a
student of Niels Treschow in Copenhagen, and then took a study tour to
Germany (1811-13) where he met Fichte, and was especially inspired by
Schelling. (The close affinities between Kierkegaard and Fichte and
Schelling might also have something to do with Sibbern’s influence on
Kierkegaard.) Sibbern was appointed professor at KU in 1813, a
position which he held until 1870. In 1838, Sibbern published an
anti-Hegelian tract Bemærkninger og Underssøgelser, fornemmelig
betreffende Hegels Philosophie, making him – along with Poul Martin
Møller – the starting point of Danish resistance to Hegel, and the
beginning of a distinctive approach to philosophy.
- 1785: Born in Christianshavn, Copenhagen
- Attended the German church school, and then Herlufsholm
- 1802: Entered University of Copenhagen. His philosophy teacher was
Niels Treschow. He distinguished himself so much that Treschow
recommended him to be his successor when he left Copenhagen for
Christiania (Oslo) in 1811.
Sibbern’s works
- Om Erkjendelse og Granskning. Til Indledning i det akademiske
Studium. 1822.
- Efterladte Breve af Gabrielis. 1826.
- Logik som Tænkelære. 1827.
- Bemærkninger og Underssøgelser, fornemmelig betreffende Hegels
Philosophie. 1838.
- Psychologie, indledet ved almindelig Biologie, i sammentrængt
Fremstilling. 1843.
- Om Filosofiens Begreb, Natur og Væsen. 1843.
- Spekulativ Kosmologi med grundlag til en spekulativ
Theologi. 1846.
Secondary literature
- Hjort, SD. “Filosoffernes Psykologitradition” Psyke og Logos, 2000.
- Himmelstrup, J. Sibbern. En Monografi. 1934.
- Høffding, H. “Frederik Christian Sibbern”, in Minde Arbejder
https://da.wikisource.org/wiki/Frederik_Christian_Sibbern
- Kallmoes, P. Frederik Christian Sibbern: Træk af en dansk Filosofs
Liv og Tænkning. 1946.
- Koch, CH. “Frederik Christian Sibbern: ‘the lovable, remarkable
thinker, Councilor Sibbern’ and ‘the political Simple-Peter
Sibbern’.” In Volume 7, Tome I: Kierkegaard and his Danish
Contemporaries, pp. 249-280. 2016.
- Lübcke, P. “F. C. Sibbern: Epistemology as Ontology” Danish
Yearbook of Philosophy, 1976.
- Stewart, J. “Sibbern’s anticipations of Kierkegaard’s polemic
against the Hegelians: The critique of abstraction” Kierkegaard
Studies Yearbook, pp. 353-370, 2021.
- Stewart, J. A History of Hegelianism in Golden Age Denmark doi:10.1163/9789004534827_003
External resources