Jürgen Mittelstraß (born 11 October 1936 in Düsseldorf) is a German philosopher especially interested in the philosophy of science.

Career

Mittelstraß studied philosophy, history and protestant theology at the universities of Bonn, Erlangen, Hamburg and Oxford from 1956 until 1961. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Erlangen in 1961, where he afterwards wrote his habilitation, completing in 1968. He was influenced by the Erlanger Konstruktivismus. In 1970 Mittelstraß became a professor of philosophy in the University of Konstanz and from 1970 to 2005 he was a full professor of philosophy of science at Konstanz. He is the editor of the Enzyklopädie Philosophie und Wissenschaftstheorie (4 volumes, 1980–1996; second edition 2005–2018, 8 volumes).

Academic recognition

Mittelstraß is member of numerous scientific and philosophical societies and has received several awards. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from six universities, the Humboldt University of Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, the Universities of Pittsburgh, Iaşi, Duisburg-Essen and the Tartu. He is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea (1988).

Private life

Mittelstraß is married and has four daughters.

Awards

Major works