UDC: 1(091)
https://doi.org/10.25198/2077-7175-2026-2-106


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FROM THE LOGIC OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE ONTOLOGY OF BEING: THE PATH AND OVERCOMING OF THE MARBURG SCHOOL

V. N. Belov 1, M. Neira 2
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba, Moscow, Russia
1 e-mail: belov-vn@rudn.ru
2 e-mail: migueneira.9@yandex.com

Abstract. The Marburg School represented one of the most systematic philosophical currents of neo-Kantianism. This study presents a rethinking of the problems faced by this school within the current context of epistemological and ontological debates that attempt to overcome modern idealism. To this end, a historical-philosophical method of analysis will be used to guide the development and evolution of neo-Kantianism, determining the conceptual transformations of these philosophers’ proposals.

The analysis begins with the founder of the school, Hermann Cohen, who laid the foundations of the transcendental method through a reinterpretation of Platonic logic and mathematics, culminating in the concept of Ursprung, which postulates the self-productive capacity of thought. His disciple, Paul Natorp, radicalised this programme by rejecting all sensory data as a source of knowledge, postulating the unity of being and thought with the concept of ‘Es ist’. For his part, Ernst Cassirer expands this project with his philosophy of symbolic forms, where language, myth and art are understood as constitutive modalities of cultural objectivity. Finally, Nicolai Hartmann’s critical break with neo- Kantian idealism is discussed, which he accuses of logical reductionism and seeks to overcome by returning to the fundamental question of ontology.

The novelty of this study lies in showing the trajectory of the Marburg school as a critical transition both in its internal developments and in its subsequent rupture and overcoming. Unlike previous studies on neo-Kantianism, which focus on the positive evolutionary moment of this school, this study also highlights Hartmann’s criticism and break with it, paving the way for further research on the theory of knowledge that should take these fundamental aspects into account.

Key words: Marburg School, Neo-Kantianism, Hermann Cohen, theory of knowledge, ontology, Nikolai Hartmann.

Cite as: Belov, V. N., Neira, M. (2026) [From the logic of knowledge to the ontology of being: the path and overcoming of the Marburg school]. Intellekt. Innovacii. Investicii [Intellect. Innovations. Investments]. Vol. 2, pp. 106–115. – https://doi.org/10.25198/2077-7175-2026-2-106.


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