ERDMANN, Benno. – Philosopher, b. at Glogau (Slesia) on 30 May 1851, d. at Berlin on 7 January 1921. He studied philosophy and the sciences at Berlin and Heidelberg. He taught at the Universities of Kiel, Breslau, Halle, Bonn and Berlin. He was influenced by Bonitz, Helmholtz and Zeller. He is the principal founder of Kantphilologie.
He began his scientific career with the dissertation, published only in part, *Über die Stellung des Dinges an sich in Kant's Ästhetik und Analytik* (Berlin 1873), followed by a *Nachfrage zu Kant's Werken* and an extensive monograph on *M. Kant's und seine Zeit* (Leipzig 1876). According to E., Kant’s intention was not to demolish metaphysics but to replace the false with the true, or rather to prepare it through a propaedeutic (*cf. Kant's Kriticismus in der ersten und zweite Aufl. der Kritik der Vernunft*, 1878). Erdmann’s systematic works began with *Die Axiome der Geometrie* (ibid. 1876) and culminated in *Logische Elementarlehre* (Halle 1892), later revised (1907) so as to appear a complete work worthy to stand beside those of Sigwart, Brentano and Lotze. He also devoted himself to psychological studies with *Umrisse zur Psychologia des Denkens* (Tübingen 1900, 2nd ed. 1908) and *Reproduktionspsychologie* (Berlin 1920).
The fundamental trait of his historical and theoretical researches was fidelity to the data. He defended the rights and function of experience, embracing the best sides of positivism and Kantianism.