Ágnes Heller was a prominent Hungarian philosopher and educator, known for his important contributions to political theory and social philosophy.
As a core member of the Budapest School in the 1960s, she played an important role in the development of Marxist humanism and participated in shaping the intellectual climate of her time.
Heller then taught political theory for 25 years at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Throughout her career, she has explored a variety of fields, including aesthetics, social theory, and political philosophy.
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- Full name: Agnes Heller
- Stage name: Agnes Heller
- Date of birth: May 12, 1929
- Date of death: July 19, 2019
- Age: 90 years old
- Place of birth: Budapest, Hungary
- Nationality: Hungarian
- Occupation: Hungarian philosopher and lecturer
- Height: Unknown
- Parents: Angyalka Heller and Pál Heller
- Siblings: Unknown
- Spouse: Ferenc Fehér (m. 1963–1994), István Hermann (m. 1949–1962)
- Children: Zsuzsa Hermann and György Fehér
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: Unknown
Early life and education
Ágnes Heller was born on May 12, 1929 in Budapest, Hungary, into a middle-class Jewish family. Her parents are Pál Heller and Angéla “Angyalka” Ligeti. During World War II, her father, Pál, was deported to Auschwitz, where he tragically died.
Although it is unclear whether she has any siblings, the media still does not know their names. Heller pursued studies in philosophy and Hungarian at the University of Budapest, where she was significantly influenced by philosopher György Lukács, becoming one of his closest assistants. She is ethnically Hungarian and a Christian.
Career
Ágnes Heller began his academic career in the early 1960s, earning a doctorate in philosophy after World War II. After Imre Nagy became Prime Minister in 1953, Heller was able to pursue his studies under Georg Lukács.
She began teaching at the University of Budapest in 1955, but the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 profoundly influenced her thinking. The uprising reinforced her belief that Marxism as applied prioritized political autonomy and collective social life. Heller saw the revolution as proof that Marxism could be adapted to each nation’s needs, challenging Soviet influence over Hungary’s future.
After the revolution, Heller found herself at odds with the new Soviet-backed government of János Kádár, especially after she refused to denounce Lukács for his involvement in the uprising. This led to her expulsion from the Communist Party and dismissal from her university position in 1958.
She continued her work in 1963 when she joined the Institute of Sociology at the Hungarian Academy. Around this time, the “Budapest School” emerged, a philosophical movement led by Lukács that sought to innovate the method of Marxist criticism. Heller, along with her second husband Ferenc Fehér and others, began to focus on topics such as emancipation theory, social change, and the everyday lives of individuals.
The Budapest School initially favored reformist socialism, but the Prague Spring of 1968, violently suppressed by Warsaw Pact forces, led Heller and her colleagues to conclude that Eastern European regimes were corrupt. deeply.
This change in perspective placed Heller in direct opposition to Kádár’s vision for Hungary. In a 2010 interview, Heller also described the political and criminal processes after 1956 as antisemitic.
After Lukács’s death in 1971, members of the Budapest School faced increasing political repression. Heller and Fehér left Hungary for Australia, where they helped found Thesis Eleven, an influential Australian social theory journal.
In 1986, they moved to New York, where Heller joined The New School, later becoming the Hannah Arendt Professor of Philosophy in the Graduate Studies Program.
Throughout his career, Heller was recognized for his extensive research and publications on a variety of topics, including ethics, aesthetics, political theory, and modernity. She also focuses on Central Europe’s role in historical events. Her later works include: Concept of beauty (1998) et Immortal Comedy (2005), shows her deep interest in aesthetics.
Heller has received many prestigious awards, including the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Philosophy in 1995 and the Sonning Prize in 2006. In 2010, she was awarded the Goethe Medal and in 2014, the Wallenberg Medal. She was also active in political causes, such as advocating for a female quota in the Hungarian legislature.
In addition to his scholarly influence, Heller’s works are widely studied and revered by scholars worldwide. Her publications, such as A theory of sensation, Concept of beautyAnd A brief history of my philosophycontinues to have a lasting impact on philosophy.
She is professor emeritus at The New School and continues to teach globally, speaking at venues such as Imre Kertész University in Germany and the Tübingen Book Fair.
Social Media
Agnes Heller does not have any active social media accounts.
Personal life
Ágnes Heller had two important marriages. Her first marriage was to philosopher István Hermann in 1949; they had a daughter, Zsuzsanna, before divorcing in 1962.
In 1963, she married philosopher Ferenc Fehér and together they had a son, György, born in 1964. Heller and Fehér remained married until his death in 1994. During his lifetime, Heller was famous with critical political thought and philosophical contributions.
Net worth
Ágnes Heller, the famous Hungarian philosopher, passed away in 2019. Although her extensive contributions to philosophy, especially in Marxism and political theory, have been widely recognized, but there is no public information about her net worth at the time of her death.
