Christian Freiherr von Ehrenfels (June 2, 1859 in Rodaun near Vienna - September 8, 1932 in Lichtenau), Austrian philosopher, is known as one of the founders and precursors of Gestalt psychology. 2 June is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian: Beč, Czech: Vídeň, Hungarian: Bécs, Romanian: Viena, Romani: Bech or Vidnya, Russian: Вена, Slovak: Viedeň, Slovenian: Dunaj) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... A city in Ukraine. ... Philosopher in Meditation (detail), by Rembrandt Philosophy is a field of study that includes diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics, in which people ask questions such as whether God exists, whether knowledge is possible, and what makes actions right or wrong. ... Gestalt psychology (also Gestalt theory of the Berlin School) is a theory of mind and brain that proposes that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies. ...

Although Max Wertheimer is to be credited as the founder of the movement of Gestalt psychology, the concept of Gestalt itself was first introduced in contemporary philosophy and psychology by von Ehrenfels in his famous work "Über Gestaltqualitäten" ("On Gestalt-qualities"), in: Vierteljahresschrift für wissenschaftliche Philosophie, Jg. 14 (1890). The idea of Gestalt has its roots in theories by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ernst Mach. Both he and Edmund Husserl seem to have been inspired by Mach's work Beiträge zur Analyse der Empfindungen ("Contributions to the Analysis of the Sensations", 1886) to formulate their very similar concepts of Gestalt and Figural Moment respectively. Max Wertheimer (Prague, April 15, 1880 - New York, October 12, 1943) was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology. ... Gestalt is a German word meaning shape or form. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. ... Ernst Mach Ernst Mach (February 18, 1838 – February 19, 1916) was an Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher and is the namesake for the Mach number and the optical illusion known as Mach bands. ... Edmund Husserl Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl (April 8, 1859 - April 26, 1938, Freiburg) was a German philosopher, known as the father of phenomenology. ...

Von Ehrenfels studied philosophy at the University of Vienna with Franz Brentano and Alexius Meinong, promoted under supervision of Meinong, after the latter's move to the Karl-Franzens-University of Graz, in 1885 on the topic of "Größenrelationen und Zahlen. Eine psychologische Studie" ("Relations of magnitude and numbers. A psycological study"). He obtained his habilitiation in 1888 in Vienna with the work: "Über Fühlen und Wollen" ("On feeling and willing"). From 1896 to 1929 he was professor of philosophy at the German university of Prague. University of Vienna, main building, seen from Beethovens apartment The University of Vienna (German: Universität Wien) in Austria was founded in 1365 by Rudolph IV and hence named Alma mater Rudolphina. ... Franz Clemens Honoratus Hermann Brentano (January 16, 1838 Marienberg am Rhein (near Boppard) - March 17, 1917 Zürich) was an influential figure in both philosophy and psychology. ... Alexius Meinong (July 17, 1853 - November 27, 1920) was an Austrian philosopher. ... The Graz Schlossberg Clock Tower Graz [graːts] (Slovenian: Gradec IPA: /gra. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Prague (Czech: Praha, see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ...

External links

• School of Brentano
• Berlin School
• Graz School
• Short biography in German

The School of Brentano refers to the philosophers and psychologists who studied with Franz Brentano and were essentially influenced by him. ... The Berlin School of experimental psychology was headed by Carl Stumpf (a pupil of Franz Brentano and Rudolf Hermann Lotze), who became professor at the University of Berlin where he founded the Berlin laboratory of experimental psychology (in 1893). ... The Graz School of experimental psychology and object-theory was headed by Alexius Meinong, who was professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Graz where he founded the Graz psychological institute (in 1894). ...

Notes

Note regarding personal names: Freiherr is a title equal to the title Baron, not a first or middle name. The female forms are Freifrau and Freiin. Freiherr (German for Free Lord) is a title of lower nobility in Germany, the Baltic states and Austria-Hungary, considered equal to the title Baron. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... Freifrau (German for Free Lady) is a title of lower nobility in Germany, and Austria-Hungary, considered equal to the title Baronin. ... Freiherr (German for Free Lord) is a title of lower nobility in Germany, the Baltic states and Austria-Hungary, considered equal to the title Baron. ...