| Franz Samuel Karpe | |
| Birth Date: | 1747 11, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Kranj, Duchy of Carniola (today Slovenia) |
| Death Place: | Vienna, Austria |
| Field: | Philosophy |
| Work Institutions: | University of Olomouc University of Vienna |
| Alma Mater: | University of Vienna |
Franz Samuel Karpe, Slovenian: '''Franc Samuel Karpe''', Czech: '''František Samuel Karpe''' (17 November 1747 – 4 September 1806) was a Slovenian philosopher and rector of University of Olomouc.
Karpe was born in Kranj, Carniola (nowadays Slovenia), to a townsman's family. His parents died soon and subsequently Count Lichteberg's family assumed responsibility for his upbringing and education. Karpe entered a Jesuit college in Ljubljana, which he finished in 1768.[1]
In 1769 Karpe moved to Vienna, where he studied law and philosophy. He graduated university in 1773. One year later Karpe assumed position of professor of logic, metaphysics and moral philosophy at the University of Olomouc. In 1777 he became the director of Faculty of Philosophy with pay of 600 florins a year (for comparison, professor of law Josef Vratislav Monse was paid 900). At the same time he was also assessor at the university's Academic Court.[1]
The University was relocated to Brno from 1778 to 1782. In Brno, Karpe taught also pedagogy. In 1781 Karpe became the university's Rector.[1]
Karpe was ardent admirer of Leibniz and Wolff, but a critic of Kant and advocate of deism and empiricism following Locke. He was one of the few philosophers of the era, who were allowed to be published by the censors of the Vienna court's study commission.
In 1786 Karpe became professor of philosophy at University of Vienna, where he remained until his death in 1806.[1] He taught his students in the spirit of Ruđer Bošković and strongly criticised Bošković's opponent Immanuel Kant.[2]
Karpe's works can be divided into Olomouc and Vienna period.