Jacob Friedrich von Abel

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Jacob Friedrich von Abel (9 May 1751 - 7 July 1829) was a German philosopher.^[1] His main interest was the human soul and in trying to find a proof for its immortality.

Born in Vaihingen, von Abel studied philology, philosophy and theology on the lower seminaries in Denkendorf and Maulbronn and on the higher seminary in Tübingen. He graduated in 1770 and was appointed professor of philosophy at the Militär-Pflanzschule at the Solitude Palace which moved later to Stuttgart.^[2] While there, he was one of Schiller's teachers and a good friend.

In 1790 he was appointed professor of philosophy and headmaster of the Contubernium in Tübingen, in 1792 pedagogiarch of the latin Schulen ob der Staig.^[3] In 1811 he became prelate, general superintendent in Oehringen and member of the executive authority of the Evangelic Church in Württemberg. In 1823 von Abel became general superintendent in Urach and Reutlingen, and lived in Stuttgart. He died on a leisure excursion in Schorndorf.

[edit] Publications

Einleitung in die Seelenlehre (1786)
Ausführliche Darstellung des Grundes unserez Glaubens an Unsterblichkeit (1826)
Sammlung und Erklärung merkwürdiger Erscheinungen aus dem menschlichen Leben (1784-1790, 3 volumes)

The latter contains in its second volume a story on which Schiller's Verbrecher aus Infamie, eine wahre Geschichte is based.