STÖCKL, ALBERT. — Neo-Scholastic philosopher and theologian, born on 15 March 1823 at Möhren (Middle Franconia), died at Eichstätt on 15 November 1895.
He studied philosophy and theology at the Episcopal Lyceum of Eichstätt (1843–48). Ordained a priest (28 April 1848), he taught philosophy at the same Lyceum in Eichstätt (from 1850), and then (1857) exegesis and Hebrew. Called to the chair of philosophy at the Academy of Münster (1862), he returned (1871) to the diocese of Eichstätt, parish priest at Gimperhausen, because of disagreements that had arisen within the Academy during the time of the First Vatican Council. Canon at Eichstätt (1877), he resumed teaching philosophy at the Lyceum. From 1878 to 1881 he was also a member of the Lower House of the Reichstag. Through his numerous and widely circulated publications on philosophy and the history of philosophy—predominantly expository in character but notable for their clarity and insight—S. contributed to the revival of Neo-Thomism in Germany. He dealt with nearly all the philosophical disciplines and wrote in particular against materialism (Materialismus geprüft in seiner Lehrsätzen u. deren Konsequenzen, Mainz 1877).
Among his other principal works should be mentioned: Gesch. der Philos. des Mittelalters (3 vols., Mainz 1864–66); Gesch. der Philos. (Würzburg 1868; 8th ed. in 2 vols., 1905, 1912); Grundriss der Religionsphilos. (ibid. 1872); Lehrbuch der Paedagogik (ibid. 1873); Gesch. der neueren Philos. (2 vols., ibid. 1883); Gesch. der christl. Philos. z. Zeit der Kirchenväter (ibid. 1891); Grundriss der Gesch. der Philos. (ibid. 1894; 4th ed. 1924). Among his apologetic-theological works: Liturgie u. dogmatische Bedeutung d. alttestamentl. Opfer (Regensburg 1848); Das Opfer nach s. Wesen u. nach s. Gesch. (Mainz 1861); Das Christentum u. die grossen Fragen d. Gegenwart, etc. (3 vols., ibid. 1879–80); Lehrbuch d. Apologetik (2 vols., ibid. 1895).