It would probably be too bold a statement to say that philosophical anthropology is the philosophy of modernity. There is, however, an important and close relation between the two. It is the aim of this article to draw attention to this relation. This will be done by examining the following hypothesis: the tertium comparationis between philosophical anthropology and modernity is to be found in the principle of self-preservation.

The idea that philosophical anthropology is a movement with a particular close connection to modernity is not new. It has been stressed by the German philosopher Odo Marquard in his Schwierigkeiten mit der Geschichtsphilosophie (Difficulties with the philosophy of history, 1965). Here Marquard focuses on philosophy of history as a specific modern type of philosophy. The background for this focus is the observation that the human life-world has been overlooked in scholastic and metaphysical philosophy. Premodern philosophy had thus abandoned man in his attempt to find orientation. Marquard often reminds us of the Hegelian insight that if philosophy has nothing to do with reality, this is reality's own problem. This does not mean – as one might immediately think – that philosophy should stay in its ivory tower with a good conscience. On the contrary! If philosophy does so, it will have grave consequences for reality, since philosophy is – or, rather, was thought to be – the primary discourse whereby man could find meaning and reason in his life-world.