Three Philosophy Theses at the University of Strasbourg

A collection of three philosophy theses defended at Strasbourg between 1817 and 1828, by three eminent contemporary Alsatian academics. G. A. Carl : De origine et Natura Sermonis – Strasbourg, 1826. L. Delcasso : De Aristotetica locorum disciplina – Strasbourg, 1828. J. Matter : De Phythagora Platonis et Plotini – Strasbourg, 1817. Small quarto. Carl's thesis, (3) ff., 28 pp., followed by Delcasso's thesis, (1) ff., 18 pp., followed by Matter's thesis of 16 pp., (1) ff. Boards, title label on the spine. Foxing, rubbed corners, joint of the upper board slightly split. A pleasant set. THESIS 1: Georges Adolf CARL « Dissertatio philosophica de Origine et Natura Sermonis » A philosophical dissertation on the origin and nature of speech, presented for promotion to the degree of doctor. Strasbourg, chez la veuve Silbermann, 1826. A Latin doctoral thesis in philosophy at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Strasbourg. Dedicated to « Joseph Louis, Bishop of Mainz, his uncle by nature and his father by affection ». Under the presidency of Mr Bautain, professor of Philosophy. Georges Adolf Carl (Strasbourg 1804 - Juilly, Seine-et-Marne 1873). An Alsatian priest, intellectual and teacher, educated between Mainz and Strasbourg. A doctor of letters and of medicine, he belonged to the circle of Louis Eugène Marie Bautain. He taught history and then became director of the minor seminary in Strasbourg in the 1830s, before heading the Collège de Juilly from 1841 (with interruptions) until 1864. Recognised as an erudite priest and an influential educator. Most of his scholarly works have not survived, but he left a deep mark on his pupils. (1) THESIS 2: « De Topicis sive de Aristotelica locorum disciplina. » A philosophical dissertation on the Topics, or on the theory of places according to Aristotle, presented for the degree of doctor. Strasbourg, chez la veuve Silbermann, 1828. A Latin doctoral thesis in philosophy at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Strasbourg. Under the presidency of Mr Bautain, professor of Philosophy. It deals with logic and the methods of reasoning according to Aristotle. Laurent Delcasso (Paris 1797 – Paris 1887), from a family of Cerdagne, in the Pyrenees, and the son of a former deputy, studied at the École Normale in Paris and in 1828 defended his doctoral theses in Latin and in French. In Strasbourg he was professor of Latin literature and of history, dean and then rector of the Academy, where he administered all levels of education. He developed secondary and vocational education (creating schools of applied sciences and collèges), supported primary education by promoting the French language, singing and rural libraries, and took an active part in local cultural life. He left Alsace after the annexation, after 43 years of service. (2) THESIS 3: « Commentatio philosophica : De principiis rationum philosophicarum Pythagorae, Platonis atque Plotini inter se comparatarum. » A philosophical commentary on the rational principles of the philosophers Pythagoras, Plato and Plotinus, compared with one another. A Latin doctoral thesis in philosophy at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Strasbourg. Strasbourg, chez F G Levrault, 1817. Jacques Matter (Alteckendorf 1791 – Strasbourg 1864) was a professor of theology, inspector general of studies and a prolific writer. Educated in Strasbourg, Göttingen and Paris, he was professor of philosophy and of ecclesiastical history, headmaster of the Strasbourg Gymnasium and academy inspector, contributing to the spread of French in education. Pastor of Saint-Thomas in Strasbourg, he stood unsuccessfully in the legislative elections of 1834 at Wissembourg. He published numerous works on history, philosophy and pedagogy and, late in life, on mysticism and theosophy, notably Swedenborg and Saint-Martin, while contributing to many journals and encyclopaedias. (3) Notes 1, 2 and 3: Fédération des Sociétés d'Histoire et d'Archéologie d'Alsace