1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Eucken, Rudolf Christoph

EUCKEN, RUDOLF CHRISTOPH (1846-⁠), German philosopher and religious teacher (see 9.878). During the World War Eucken, like many of his academic colleagues, took a strong line in favour of the causes with which his country had associated itself. After the war he became the chief leader of the new idealist movement in Germany, which obtained many adherents among politicians as well as among sections of the general public hitherto averse to the tendencies it represents. The representatives of the main current of this movement regarded Christianity as the culminating point of religious aspirations, but based no hopes upon the Christian churches ever deepening the religious consciousness. Other currents continued to identify themselves more or less with the churches, and a common ground was found in great assemblies of men and women of the younger generation, generally in the open air, where plans were discussed for strengthening the moral fibre of the nation in view of the overwhelming problems arising out of Germany's political and military collapse.

After 1910 Eucken published the following works and pamphlets: — Grundlinien einer neuen Lebensanschauung (2nd ed. 1913); Können wir noch Christen sein? (1911); Erkennen und Leben (1912); Die Lebensanschauungen der grossen Denker (10th ed. 1912); Die Träger des deutschen Idealismus (1915); Mensch und Welt: eine Philosophie des Lebens (1918; 2nd ed. 1920); Deutsche Freiheit: ein Weckruf (1919); Einführung in die Hauptfragen der Philosophie (2nd ed. 1920).