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Poul Martin Møller

Danish academic and poet (1794–1838)

Field	Value
name	Poul Martin Møller
image	Møller Poul Martin.jpg
caption	Bust of Møller by L. Hasselriis
birth_date	21 March 1794
birth_place	Uldum near Vejle
death_date	13 March 1838 (aged 43)
death_place	Copenhagen
occupation	Poet, academic
nationality	Danish

Poul Martin Møller (21 March 1794 – 13 March 1838) was a Danish academic, writer, and poet. During his lifetime, he gained renown in Denmark for his poetry. After his death, his posthumously published fiction and philosophical writings were well received. He also devoted several decades of study to classical languages and literature. While serving as a professor at the University of Copenhagen, he was a mentor to the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.

Life and career

Møller was born near Vejle and raised on the island of Lolland, where his father served as a pastor. As a young man, his father tutored him in classical languages and literature. In 1812 he enrolled in the University of Copenhagen and studied theology. He also taught religion at a nearby school during this time. After a stint as the tutor of two young counts, he returned to Copenhagen to study classical philology. From 1826 to 1832, he taught at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania. Although he rose from assistant professor to full professor, he disliked living in Norway and returned to Denmark. [[Image:Poul Martin Møller på dødslejet.jpg|thumb|alt=A picture of Poul Martin Møller's death mask.|Poul Martin Møller on his deathbed. Lithography of the death mask.]]Although eccentric, notoriously disheveled, In 1831, he was promoted to Professor Extraordinary at the University of Copenhagen, where he taught Hegel, classical literature, and moral philosophy. His first wife died in 1834, an event which left him shaken to the core and almost unable to function. Two years later, he married a friend of his late wife. He fathered a daughter with his second wife before succumbing to what was most likely liver cancer in March 1838.

Writings

While working as a teacher he wrote extensively, working on poetry, a novel, and translating literature into Danish. He published translations of both contemporary and classical authors, including Lord Byron's "The Dream" and a portion of The Odyssey. Shortly before his death, he charged his stepbrother Christian Winter and his colleague Fredrick Olsen with the task of publishing his writing posthumously. Although Møller's unfocused nature made this a difficult task, they were eventually able to publish nine volumes by 1850. After these volumes were published, Møller's reputation greatly improved among the Danish public. However, only a small portion of his philosophical writings were able to be published.

Relationship with Kierkegaard

Møller is perhaps best known for relationship with Søren Kierkegaard. They first met when Møller was teaching at the University of Copenhagen and they also lived in the same square in Copenhagen from 1836 to 1838. Møller was also well acquainted with Søren's brother Peter. Six years after Møller's death, Kierkegaard dedicated his work The Concept of Anxiety to him with remarks which were unusually personal for Kierkegaard.

In his journals, Kierkegaard notes that Møller provided him advice about the study of philosophy and communication. Part of Møller's influence came through his lectures on moral philosophy and the Greek and Roman classics that Kierkegaard attended while a student at the University of Copenhagen. Kierkegaard records that shortly before his death, Møller cautioned him regarding the polemical tone that he had adopted. Kierkegaard, however, viewed his tone as consistent with the New Testament writers.

Philosophy

There is also significant common ground between the philosophical views of Møller and Kierkegaard, in large part due to Møller's tutelage. After Møller's writings were published posthumously, Kierkegaard studied them in great detail. It is generally believed that Møller had a maieutic relationship with Kierkegaard, hence Kierkegaard's description of Møller as, "the confidant of Socrates”.

Møller's philosophy was also influenced by the theological work of the speculative theist philosopher Immanuel Hermann Fichte.

Notes

References

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References

{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Hannay. 2001
{{Harvnb. Garff. 2004
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
Jensen. 2009
Garff. 2004
{{Harvnb. Hannay. 2001
Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Aaserud. 2005
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
Hannay. 2001
Garff. 2004
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Jensen. 2009
{{Harvnb. Garff. 2004
Garff. 2004
Jon Stewart (ed.), ''A Companion to Kierkegaard'', John Wiley & Sons, 2015, p. 68.

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