About
Tomáš Masaryk (1850-1937) was a Czech philosopher and sociologist who became the first president of Czechoslovakia. A professor of philosophy at the Czech University of Prague, he founded the journal Athenaeum and published major works, including a critique of Marxism. He was active in politics, serving in the Austrian Reichsrat and founding the Realist Party. During World War I, he worked in exile for Czechoslovak independence, gaining Allied support. Elected president in 1918, he was re-elected three times, making his country a stable parliamentary democracy and a prosperous state.
* 1850-03-07 — † 1937-09-14
Major works
- Der Selbstmord als sociale Massenerscheinung der modernen Civilisation (1881)sociological study
- Versuch einer concreten Logik (1888)philosophical work
- Die philosophischen und soziologischen Grundlagen des Marxismus (1898)essay
- Russland und Europa (1913)historical study
Key milestones
- 1918Elected first president of Czechoslovakia on November 14.
- 1916Co-founded the Czechoslovak National Committee in Paris with Edvard Beneš and Milan Rastislav Štefánik.
- 1935Resigned from the presidency in December due to age.
Themes
DemocracyNational independenceCritique of MarxismHumanismCzech identity
Sources: britannica.com · journals.uchicago.edu · oxfordreference.com