Vischer, Friedrich Theodor

Vischer, Friedrich Theodor (frē`drĭkh tā`ōdôr fĭsh`ər), 1807–87, German aesthetic philosopher. He taught at Tübingen, and later at Zürich and Stuttgart. Vischer was not only one of the most individual and independent critics of his century, but also a gifted author. His chief work is Ästhetik; oder Wissenschaft des Schönen (6 vol., 1846–57). He also wrote the humorous and satirical Auch Einer [one more] (1879) and a parody of part of Goethe's Faust, as well as poems and numerous critical and philosophical works.

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Vischer, Friedrich Theodor 

Born June 30, 1807, in Ludwigsburg; died Sept. 14, 1887, in Gmunden. German aesthetician, critic, and writer.

Vischer was the author of the six-volume Ästhetik, oder Wissenschaft des Schönen (parts 1–3, 1846–58). This epigonic work, of the Hegelian school, had a considerable influence on German academic aesthetics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Late in life, Vischer developed the theory of empathy. He was also the author of such works as Critical Path (vol. 1, 1860) and the tragicomic novel The Humour of Germany (Auch Einer, vols. 1–2, 1879).

REFERENCES

Lukach, G. “K. Marks i. F. T. Fisher.” Literaturnye teorii XIX v. i marksizm. Moscow, 1937.
Glockner, H. Vischer und das 19 Jahrhundert. Berlin, 1931.
Schlawe, F. Friedrich Theodor Vischer. Stuttgart, 1959.