Ernst Laas

Ernst Heinrich Gustav Laas (; German: [laːs]; June 16, 1837 – July 25, 1885) was a German gymnasium teacher, philosopher of positivism and education, and chair of philosophy and pedagogy at the University of Strasbourg. The insights he found in the history of philosophy and philosophies based on sensualism are key aspects of his scholarly work.

Biography

Laas grew up as the son of the master tailor Johann Peter Laas (1807–57) and his wife Berta Ida Flora (1818–52), née Beil, in economically limited circumstances in Fürstenwalde, Brandenburg, Prussia. Ernst's childhood was marked by various hardships, especially during the difficult years of 1846 and 1847 and the revolutionary period that followed. His father loyally supported the royalists, which led to retribution from the opposing party; they boycotted his work. During this time as a young boy, Ernst and his younger brother had to collect firewood from the heath in his area after school each day to help their parents, who struggled just to provide the most basic food through their hard work. He quickly became acquainted with the seriousness of life and believed his fate was tied to his own personal energy he put into it. Due to his rough years growing up, Paul Kannengiesser has said that Laas "truly earned everything himself."

When Ernst completed his education at the local public school and was ready to choose a career, however, he faced the bleak prospect of becoming a waiter, an errand boy, or a tailor's apprentice. But thanks to the support of the school principal Rector Gaedke, and General von Massow who admired his father's loyalty to the crown, he was able to attend the Joachimsthal Gymnasium.Starting Easter 1851, he attended Joachimsthal's Gymnasium in Berlin, later becoming a boarding student. Upon leaving school, Ernst noted that his personal struggles and experiences, combined with the educational methods used at home, led him to develop a shy and reserved demeanor which others found off-putting.