Dühring, Eugen Karl

Dühring, Eugen Karl (oigān` kärl dü`rĭng), 1833–1921, German philosopher and economist. He practiced law in Berlin until blindness threatened him and then became (1864) docent at the Univ. of Berlin. He was unable to get along with academic authorities, however, and he retired in 1877. A positivist in the manner of Comte and Feuerbach, he looked to the study of people as the basis of his philosophy. His political philosophy rested on the retention of capitalism with the elimination of its abuses through a strong labor movement. He was violently criticized by Engels in Anti-Dühring (1877). His works include Kritische Geschichte der allgemeinen Principien der Mechanik (1872) and Cursus der Philosophie (1875).