Hans Blumenberg (born July, 13, 1920 in Lübeck; died March, 28, 1996 in Altenberge) was a German philosopher.
He studied philosophy, Germanistics and classics (1939-47, interrupted by World War II) and is considered to be one of the most important German philosophers of recent decades. He died on March 28, 1996 in Altenberge (near Münster), Germany.
Blumenberg created what has come to be called 'metaphorology', which states that what lies under metaphors and language modisms, is the nearest to the truth (and the farthest from ideologies). His last works, especially "Care Crosses the River" (Die Sorge geht über den Fluss), are attempts to apprehend human reality through its metaphors and involuntary expressions. Digging under apparently meaningless anecdotes of the history of occidental thought and literature, Blumenberg drew a map of the expressions, examples, gestures, that flourished in the discussions of what are thought to be more important matters. Blumenberg's interpretations are extremely unpredictable and personal, all full of signs, indications and suggestions, sometimes ironic. Above all, it is a warning against the force of revealed truth, and for the beauty of a world in confusion.