Teodora Shek Brnardić, Croatian Institute of History The Science of Man in Bohemia Graz, 29th July 2011 Menschenkenntnis or “the knowledge of man” in the works of Count Franz Joseph Kinsky „To be in charge of men – to lead them according to planned purposes assumes the knowledge of man; and this in turn assumes the self-knowledge. 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) COUNT FRANZ JOSEPH KINSKY (1739-1805) BOHEMIAN PEDAGOGUE, GEOLOGIST AND AUSTRIAN GENERAL Major pedagogical and military works 1773 – 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 works The 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 MAN SOUL BODY NATURAL (PHYSICAL) MORAL EDUCATION EDUCATION INSTRUCTION IN INSTRUCTION IN MORALITY THE ARTS AND SCIENCES RELIGION „All true morality is grounded in RELIGION and flows from its DUTIES TOWARDS OURSELVES principles“. (Erinnerung, 1773) SOCIAL DUTIES (TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOURS) The Sensualist Psychology • the Lockean epistemology and psychology with the basis in SENSATION: EXTERNAL EXPERIENCE – the OBJECTS source of all knowledge SENSES JOHN LOCKE - together with Francis Bacon one of Kinsky’s most favourite authors 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 relations CHARLES 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 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) 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).