KOHLER, JOSEF

born March 9, 1849, Offenburg, Baden died Aug 3, 1919, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Ger. German jurist who made a significant contribution to the philosophy of law and helped to advance the study of the comparative history of law. Kohler was educated at the universities of Heidelberg and Freiberg and became a doctor of laws in 1873. A year later he was appointed judge at Mannheim. In 1888 he obtained the post of professor at the University of Berlin. Kohler was an early representative of the sociological school of jurisprudence, which focused on the social purpose of law. His major work, Lehrbuch der Rechtsphilosophie (1908; Philosophy of Law), was a study of the theory of justice, based on G.W.F. Hegel's philosophy of history. In addition to his philosophical and historical concerns, Kohler also wrote extensively on German copyright and patent law. He was the author of several volumes of poetry, a novel, and essays on art history.