Johannes Kinker. A Kantian Philosopher Teaching Dutch Language, Literature and Eloquence.

Abstract

The cosmopolitan citizen and Kantian philosopher Johannes Kinker,

who had played a leading role in many institutions and societies of the

northern Netherlands, held the newly founded Dutch chair in Liège for

more than a decade. The present chapter addresses the questions why he accepted this post, what his experiences were, and how he actually shaped the Dutch chair. Could he share his scholarly expertise on general language theory, philosophy, prosody and eloquence with his audience of students? By examining Kinker’s correspondence and his, so far barely explored, lecture notes, I am able to present a clear view of his daily teaching practice in a French-speaking university town.