HUMBOLDT, WILHELM von. - Statesman and thinker, b. at Potsdam on 22 June 1767, d. at Tegel on 8 Apr. 1835. Having devoted himself to study, he completed his education with long journeys in Austria, France, and Spain (1797-1801). Counsellor of embassy to the Holy See (1802), in 1809 he assumed direction of religious and educational affairs in Prussia. Ambassador at Vienna and London, minister of corporations (1819), he aimed at the establishment of the German Confederation.
In his principal political writings (cf. above all Ideen über Staatsverfassung, durch die neue französische Konstitution veranlasst, and Ideen zu einem Versuch, die Grenzen der Wirksamkeit des Staates zu bestimmen, both of 1792), he opposed to the abstract concept of the State the historical concept of the nation. The study of comparative anthropology (cf. Plan einer vergleichenden Anthropologie of 1795), understood as an inquiry into the character of nations, represented for H. the premise for understanding the spirit of humanity. He also devoted himself to linguistic studies, maintaining that language is the spontaneous and continuous creation of the spirit. H. was opposed to State interference in the religious consciences of citizens.
Bibliography: B. Gebhardt, W. V. H. als Staatsmann, 2ª ed., Stoccarda 1890; S. H. Kachler, W. V. H. und der Staat, Monaco-Berlino 1926; E. Spranger, W. V. H. und die Humanitätidee, ivi 1928; R. Leroux, Guillaume de H. La formation de sa pensée jusqu'en 1794, Strasburgo 1932; G. Solari, Studi storici di filosofia del diritto, Torino 1949, pp. 315-42. Sergio Costa