1855年,18歲的時候,他作為海軍中尉參加了克里米亞戰爭,並且兩次獲頒獎章(分別由 St. Andrew 和St. George 授予)。他駐守在馬拉可夫(Malakoff)的第四堡壘,即塞瓦斯托波爾圍城戰中托爾斯泰所駐之堡壘。1852年,他的父親去世後,他繼承了父親的財產(他僅存的另一位兄弟,詩人Aristarch,已經在1841年去世了),接着他解放了自己的農奴,並把土地,物資和錢財也散給了他們,這一舉動,或許是對1861年農奴制改革的預見。在1862年,他離開伊莉沙維特格勒,前往德國旅行,他在那裏呆了兩年時間,以期「對人類心靈有更好的認識」[10]1864年,他的姐姐Charitis在他離開俄國不久之後去世。1867年,他的母親也離開了人世,他於是以「低得可笑」的價錢賣掉了自己的財產,又散盡財富,然後永遠地離開了故鄉。[11]
他一開始去了萊比錫,聽了Moritz Wilhelm Drobisch (1802–1896,一位赫爾巴特派哲學家)的講座。當時,還是學生的尼采恰好也在那裏,不過並沒有跡象表明他們見了面。1869年他去了圖賓根,1871年去了斯圖加特。1872年1月30日,在該市的一座東正教堂[12] 里,他與Elisabeth (Elise) Gatternich[13] 結婚,接着夫婦二人有了一個女兒,Hélène.[14] 在萊比錫,他和出版商兼共濟會員Joseph Gabriel Findel交好,後者出版了Spir絕大多數的作品。他最重要的著作,《思想與實在:初探批判哲學之革新》(Thought and Reality: Attempt at a Renewal of Critical Philosophy)也於1873年初版。它的第二版,也就是尼采手頭的版本,則面市於1877年。為了擴大讀者群,他又直接以法語寫作了《批判哲學大綱》 (Esquisses de philosophie critique),這本著作出版於1877年。[15] 它的第二版則要等到他死後四十年,即1930年才予付印,且由巴黎大學索邦神學院的萊昂·不倫瑞克教授作序。
1878年起,為了治療肺炎導致的慢性咳嗽,他搬到瑞士的洛桑居住五年。1884年,他向俄國皇帝請求准許他脫離俄國國籍,歸化為瑞士公民;同年他得到了皇帝的准許,開始着手申請在洛桑上貝爾蒙地區——即他與家人居住之地——的註冊許可證。[16] 在1886年,為了享用更優秀的圖書資源(即所謂Société de Lecture,一個私人讀書社群)[17],他又搬去了日內瓦。[18] 自1889年9月17日起,他正式獲得瑞士聯邦政府承認,與其妻子、女兒一道成為了瑞士公民。[19] 他於1890年3月26日在日內瓦的6 rue Petitot過世,死因是流行性感冒。此前他靠妻子和女兒養活。[20]
他的手稿、個人文件、照片和書籍在1940年被其女兒捐給了日內瓦圖書館(Bibliothèque de Genève, formerly Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire de Genève),它們組成了一套 "African Spir全集",可供查閱。
有關他和家人的其他文章也可以在Harvard University Library 查閱到。
認識論
基於他的個人閱讀和參加Drobitsch講座之舉, Spir應當是一位新康德主義哲學家。他把自己的哲學稱為「批判哲學」。他追尋着一條把哲學建設為「第一原則的科學」之道路,認為哲學的使命是調查直覺知識,揭露經驗主義的妄想,以及通過對事實的嚴格陳述和邏輯嚴密的推理來展現事物的真正本質。這一方法使得他推崇同一律(即law of identity, A ≡ A) 為認知的基本規律,與經驗世界的紛繁表象相對。
1866. Die Wahrheit, Leipzig, J.G. Findel (under the pseudonym of 「Prais」, anagram of: A. Spir, 2nd ed. under the name of A. Spir 1867, Leipzig, Förster und Findel).
1868. Andeutung zu einem widerspruchlosen Denken, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1869. Erörterung einer philosophischen Grundeinsicht, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1869. Forschung nach der Gewissheit in der Erkenntniss der Wirklichkeit, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1869. Kurze Darstellung der Grundzüge einer philosophischen Anschauungsweise, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1869. Vorschlag an die Freunde einer vernünftigen Lebensführung, Leipzig, J.G. Findel (French translation by Hélène Claparède-Spir: Projet d'un coenobium laïque, Ed. of Coenobium, Lugano, 1907).
1870. Kleine Schriften, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1873. Denken und Wirklichkeit: Versuch einer Erneuerung der kritischen Philosophie, 1st ed. Leipzig, J. G. Findel.
1874. Moralität und Religion, 1st ed. Leipzig, J.G. Findel. (Italian translation by Odoardo Campa: Religione, Lanciano, Carabba, 1911, reprint 2008).
1876. Empirie und Philosophie: vier Abhandlungen, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1876. "Zu der Frage der ersten Principien", in: Philosophische Monatshefte, XII, p. 49–55.
1877. Denken und Wirklichkeit: Versuch einer Erneuerung der kritischen Philosophie, 2d ed. Leipzig, J. G. Findel. (French translation from the 3rd ed. by A. Penjon: Pensée et réalité: essai d'une réforme de la philosophie critique, Lille, Au siège des Facultés – Paris, Alcan, 1896).
1877. Sinn und Folgen der modernen Geistesströmung, 1st ed. Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1878. Moralität und religion, 2d ed. Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1878. Sinn und Folgen der modernen Geistesströmung, 2d ed. Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1879. Recht und Unrecht: Eine Erörterung der Principien, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.(2nd ed., 1883, Italian translation by Cesare Goretti: La Giustizia, Milano, Lombarda, 1930; French translation: Principes de justice sociale, Genève: Éditions du Mon-Blanc (Hélène Claparède-Spir ed., Préf. de Georges Duhamel); English translation by Alexander Frederick Falconer: Right and Wrong, Edinburgh, Oliver and Boyd, 1954).
1879. Ueber Idealismus und Pessimismus, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1879. "Ob eine vierte Dimension des Raums denkbar ist?", in: Philosophische Monatshefte, XV, p. 350–352.
1880. Vier Grundfragen, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1883. Studien, Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1883. Über Religion: Ein Gespräch, 1st ed. Leipzig, J.G. Findel. (Italian translation by O. Campa, Ed. of Coenobium, Lugano, 1910.
1883–85. Gesammelte Schriften Leipzig:, J.G. Findel, (republished in 1896 by Paul Neff, Stuttgart).
1885. Philosophische Essays,Leipzig:, J.G. Findel, (republished in 1896 by Paul Neff, Stuttgart).
1887. Esquisses de philosophie critique, Paris, Ancienne librairie Germer-Baillière et Cie, F. Alcan éditeur. (Russian translation by N. A. Bracker, Moscow, 1901; Italian translation by O. Campa, with an introduction by P. Martinetti, Milan, 1913).
1890. Deux questions vitales: De la Connaissance du bien et du mal; De l'immortalité, Genève, Stapelmohr (published anonymously).
1895. "Wie gelangen wir zur Freiheit und Harmonie des Denkens", in: Archiv für systematische Philosophie, Bd. I, Heft 4, p. 457–473.
1897. Über Religion: Ein Gespräch, 2d ed. Leipzig, J.G. Findel.
1899. Nouvelles esquisses de philosophie critique (études posthumes), Paris, Librairie Félix Alcan, (Spanish translation by R. Urbano, Madrid, 1904).
1908–1909. Gesammelte Werke, Leipzig, J.A. Barth (Hélène Claparède-Spir ed.).
1930. Esquisses de philosophie critique, Paris, Libraire Félix Alcan (Nouvelle éd. avec une introduction par Léon Brunschvicg, Membre de l'Institut)
1930. Propos sur la guerre, Paris, Editions Truchy-Leroy (Hélène Claparède-Spir ed.).
1937. Paroles d'un sage, Paris-Genève, Je Sers-Labor (Choix de pensées d'African Spir avec une esquisse biografique, Hélène Claparède-Spir ed., 2d ed. Paris, Alcan, 1938).
1948. Lettres inédites de African Spir au professeur Penjon, Neuchâtel, Éditions du Griffon (Introd. d'Emile Bréhier).
Gerardus Heymans is quoted as saying that Spir "exercised a real influence on the elaboration of his thought." Lettres inédites de African Spir au professeur Penjon (Unpublished Letters of African Spir to professor Penjon), Neuchâtel, 1948, p. 231, n. 7.
Spir died at 9 PM, Fabrizio Frigerio, Catalogue raisonné du fonds African Spir (Analytical Catalogue of Afrikan Spir's Corpus) p. 6, n. 28. Death certificate of African Spir, 26 March 1890 (Vol. 1890, n. 139).
Rüdiger Safranski, Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography (trans. Shelley Frisch), W. W. Norton & Company, 2003, p. 161: "This work [Thought and Reality] had long been consigned to oblivion, but it had a lasting impact on Nietzsche. Section 18 of Human, All Too Human cited Spir, not by name, but by presenting a "proposition by an outstanding logician" (2,38; HH I §18).
For Nietzsche's annotations in his copy of African's Spir Thought and Reality, as well as Hélène's Claparède-Spir comments on these annotations in a letter in German to Hans Vaihinger (dated Geneva, March, 11th, 1930), cf. Fabrizio Frigerio, op. cit., p. 15, n. 29 c., Ms. l.e. 253.
Ibid., p. 4, 2, n.2. Birth Certificate of African Spir (in Russian) and n.3. German translation of the Birth Certificate and the Certificate of Baptism of African Spir.
According to the Russian Law about the Nobility, people who were awarded with the St. Vladimir Order (each class) had had the rights of hereditary nobility until the Emperor's Decree of 1900 was issued. After this only three first classes of the Order gave such a right.
Or to abridge it, if it was absolutely necessary to maintain it, like in his engagement-card: "A. v. Spir-Elise Gatternicht Verlobte Odessa December 1871 Stuttgart", cf.Ibid., p. 4, Personal papers of African Spir, Ms. fr. 1406, 2, no.7.
"two philosophers, Stuart Mill and David Hume, that he appreciated very particularly, and who always stayed his preferred authors, 「because, he said, of their clarity et of their perfect sincerity.」 Hélène Claparède-Spir, Paroles d'un sage : choix de pensées d』African Spir, (Words of a wise man: choice of Spir's words) Paris-Genève, Je Sers-Labor, 1937, p.24.
Elise Sophie Adelaïde Gatternicht, born on 4 June 1850 in Stuttgart, daughter of Johann Adam Gatternicht and Jeanne Catherine, born Heuss (Excerpt of Certificate of Birth, Stuttgart, 19 July 1883), Fabrizio Frigerio, op. cit., p. 4, Personal Papers of African Spir, Ms. fr. 1406, 5, nos. 8 and 9.
Hélène-Catherine-Augusta Spir (Stuttgart, 14.2.1873 – Geneva, 12.11.1955), who will marry the Swiss neurologist and psychologist Edouard Claparède (Geneva, 24.3.1873 – Geneva, 29.9.1940) and became Hélène Claparède-Spir (or Elena Afrikanovna Klapared-Spir, in russian: Елона Африкановна Клапаред-Спир (Шпир).
"The author of the present Outlines who, without being himself a German, has published many books in German, will submit his philosophy to the scrutiny of the French Public.", Fabrizio Frigerio, op. cit., p. 9, no. 14, Ms. fr. 1410.
Due to his chronic cough, it was not possible for Spir to read books in a public library; as a member of the "Société de Lecture" it was possible for him to take at home the books that he wanted to read.
Establishment's Setting n. 18529, delivered 19 June 1886, to Mr. African De Spir, without profession, born 10 November 1837, from Russia, married to Miss Eisabeth De Gatternicht, Fabrizio Frigerio, op. cit., p. 5 , no. 24.
Hélène-Claparède Spir, "Un précurseur: A. Spir", in: African Spir, Principes de justice sociale, précédés de "Un précurseur", avec une préface de Georges Duhamel, Genève, 1945, p. 19.
"I was 21 years old when in 1873 was published this important book (Thought and Reality by A. Spir), which I started immediately to study diligently. The book produced immediately a great impression." 8 March 1930, in a memory on an article of the Nouvelles littéraires (Literary News) on Nietzsche and Spir.
Published in: Hélène Claparède-Spir, Evocation: Tolstoi, Nietzsche, Rilke, Spir, Genève, Georg, 1944; the original letter can be consulted at the Bibliothèque de Genève, cf. Fabrizio Frigerio, op. cit., p.17, n. 2. Manuscript letter (in French) to Hélène Claparède-Spir in Stuttgart, 1/13 May 1896.
Africano Spir, Religione, Traduzione dal tedesco con prefazione e una bibliografia di Od. Campa, Lanciano, Carabba editore, 2008 (Ristampa anastatica della edizione originale).
Selected works on Spir
Charles Baudouin, "Le philosophe African Spir (1837–1890). A l'occasion de son centenaire", in: Action et Pensée, 1938, juin, p. 65–75.
Léon Brunschvicg, "La philosophie religieuse de Spir" in: Comptes rendus du II ème Congrès international de philosophie, Geneva, 1904, p. 329–334.
Hélène Claparède-Spir, Evocation. Tolstoï - Nietziche - Rilke - Spir. Georg et Cie. Libraires de l'Universitié, Genevé. 1944.
Hélène Claparède-Spir, Un précurseur: A. Spir, Lausanne-Genève, Payot & Cie, 1920.
Hélène Claparède-Spir, "Vie de A. Spir" in African Spir, Nouvelles esquisses de philosophie critique, Paris, Félix Alcan, 1899.
Augusto Del Noce, Filosofi dell'esistenza e della libertà, Spir, Chestov, Lequier, Renouvier, Benda, Weil, Vidari, Faggi, Martinetti, Rensi, Juvalta, Mazzantini, Castelli, Capograsssi, a cura di Francesco Mercadante e Bernardino Casadei, Milano, Giuffrè, 1992.
Fabrizio Frigerio, Catalogue raisonné du fonds African Spir, Genève, Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire de Genève, 1990.
Fabrizio Frigerio, "Un philosophe russe à Genève: African Spir (1837–1890)", in: Musées de Genève, 1990, 307, p. 3–7.
Fabrizio Frigerio, "Spir, Afrikan Alexandrowitsch", in: Schweizer Lexikon, Mengis & Ziehr Ed., Luzern, 1991–1993, t. VI, p. 31.
Alfred Haag, Der Substanzbegriff und eine erkentniss-theoretischen Grundlagen in der Philosophie des Afrikan Spir, 1837–1890. Historisch-kritischer Beitrag zu neueren Philosophie, Würzburg, 1923-224. Haag's dissertation at Würzburg.
Gabriel Huan, Essai sur le dualisme de Spir, Paris, Librairie Félix Alcan, 1914. Huan's dissertation at Paris.
Humanus, (pseud. of Ernst Eberhardt), African Spir: ein Philosoph der Neuzeit, Leipzig, J.G.Findel, 1892 (New ed. 2009).
Piero Martinetti, La libertà, Milan, Lombarda, 1928, Spir: pp. 282–289 (new ed. Torino, Aragno 2004, Spir: p. 248–254).
Piero Martinetti, Il pensiero di Africano Spir, Torino, Albert Meynier, 1990. Published and with an introduction by Franco Alessio. Review by Fabrizio Figerio in: Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie, Lausanne, 1993, 125, p. 400.
Auguste Penjon, "Spir et sa doctrine", Revue de métaphysique et de morale, 1893, p. 216–248.
Rivista di filosofia, 1937, a. XXVIII, n. 3, Africano Spir nel primo centenario della nascita: *** "Africano Spir (1837–1890)"; E. Carando "La religione in Africano Spir", A. Del Noce " Osservazioni sul realismo e l'idealismo in A.Spir"; *** "Il dolore nel pesssimismo di A. Spir"; P. Martinetti "Il dualismo di A.Spir"; A. Poggi "Luci ed ombre nella morale di Africano Spir"; G. Solari "Diritto e metafisica nella morale di Africano Spir".
Joseph Segond, "L'idéalisme des valeurs et la doctrine de Spir" in: Revue philosophique de la France et de l'étranger, 1912, 8, p. 113–139.
Samuel Spitzer, Darstellung und Kritik der Moralphilosophie Spir's, Raab, 1896. Spitzer's dissertation at Würzburg.
Andreas Zacharoff, Spirs theoretische Philosophie dargestellt und erläutert, Weida i. Th., Thomas & Hubert, 1910. Zacharoff's dissertation at Jena.
Mary-Barbara Zedlin, "Afrikan Alexandrovich Spir", in: Paul Edwards ed., Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 544, New York, Macmillan, 1972.
Selected works on Nietzsche's relationship to Spir
Peter Bornedal, The Surface and the Abyss, Nietzsche as Philosopher of Mind and Knowledge, Berlin – New-York, 2010.
Hélène Claparède-Spir, "Friedrich Nietzsche und Afrikan Spir", Philosophie und Leben, 1930, 6, p. 242–250.
Maudemarie Clark & David Dudrick, "Nietzsche's Post-Positivism", European Journal of Philosophy, 2004, 12, p. 369–385.
Karl-Heinz Dickopp, "Zum Wandel von Nietzsches Seinsverständnis: Afrikan Spir und Gustav Teichmüller", Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung, 1970, 24, p. 50–71.
Paolo D'Iorio, "La superstition des philosophes critiques: Nietzsche et Afrikan Spir", Nietzsche-Studien, 1993, 22, p. 257–294.
Domenico M. Fazio, "Il Pensiero del Giovane Nietzsche e Afrikan Spir", in: Bollettino di Storia della Filosofia dell'Università degli Studi di Lecce, 1986/9, 9, p. 243–262.
Domenico M. Fazio, Nietzsche e il criticismo, Elementi kantiani e neokantiani e critica della dialettica hegeliana nella formazione filosofica del giovane Nietzsche, Urbino, QuattroVenti, 1991.
Michael Steven Green, Nietzsche and the Transcendental Tradition, Urbana & Chicago, University of Illinois Press – International Nietzsche Studies Series, 2002.
Michael Steven Green, "Nietzsche’s Place in Nineteenth Century German Philosophy", Inquiry, 2004, 47, p. 168–188. Review of Will Dudley, "Hegel, Nietzsche, and Philosophy: Thinking Freedom", Cambridge U. Press 2002.
Michael Steven Green, "Was Afrikan Spir a Phenomenalist (and What Difference Does It Make for Understanding Nietzsche)?, 44 Journal of Nietzsche Studies (forthcoming).
Nadeem J. Z. Hussain, "Nietzsche's Positivism", European Journal of Philosophy, 2004,12, p. 326–368.
Sergio Sánchez, "Logica, verità e credenza: alcune considerazioni in merito alla relazione Nietzsche–Spir」 in: Maria Cristina Fornari (ed.), La trama del testo: Su alcune letture di Nietzsche, Lecce, Millela, 2000, p. 249–282.
Sergio Sánchez, "Linguaggio, conoscenza e verità nella filosofía del giovane Nietzsche: I frammenti postumi del 1873 e le loro fonti", Annuario Filosofico, 2000, 16, p. 213–240.
Sergio Sánchez, El problema del conocimiento en la filosofía del joven Nietzsche, Córdoba (Argentina), 2001
Karl Schlechta & Anni Anders, Friedrich Nietzsche: Von den verborgenen Anfängen seines Philosophierens,Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, F. Frommann, 1962, p. 119–122, 159–166.
Robin Small, "Nietzsche, Spir, and Time",Journal of the History of Philosophy, 1994, 32, p. 82–102. Reprinted in Chapter One of Robin Small, Nietzsche in Context, Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2001.