Karl Ameriks, the McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, died on April 28 from pancreatic cancer. He was 77.

Born in post-World War II Germany, Ameriks’ family emigrated to the United States when he was a child, and he grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University. He came to the Department of Philosophy at Notre Dame in 1973 during a formative time for the department, which had transitioned from a predominantly Thomist focus to the more analytical American philosophy in the 1960s.

“He joined the department at a time that was crucial to setting us on the path we've followed since,” said Paul Weithman, the Glynn Family Honors Professor of Philosophy and former chair of the department. “Any department would have been lucky to have him, but he was very happy here, and we were all much the better for it.”

During his 43-year career at Notre Dame, Ameriks predominantly focused on the history of modern philosophy, continental philosophy, and modern German philosophy. He dedicated much of his research to 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, about whom he has published multiple books, such as Kant's Moral and Legal Philosophy, Kant and the Historical Turn, and Reinhold: Letters on the Kantian Philosophy. He continued to actively research after his retirement in 2016, publishing books including Kantian Dignity and its Difficulties and Kantian Subjects: Critical Philosophy and Late Modernity.

Ameriks, his colleagues said, was a world-renowned scholar of Kant and German idealism — but also possessed a wide-ranging intellectual curiosity with boundless insight.

“He seemed to know everything about everyone in the history of philosophy, in politics, in literature, in history,” said Samuel Newlands, the Carl E. Koch Professor of Philosophy and chair of the department. “To have a conversation with him about any topic was a bracing, thrilling journey — you never quite knew where it was going, but you could be confident that it would be full of dry, sly humor, sharp insight, and unexpected twists and turns.”

In 2009, Ameriks was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A characteristically modest man, he deflected self-lauding remarks about this prestigious recognition by pointing to colleagues who received the distinction before him, saying he was merely pleased to “receive an honor that has come to others at Notre Dame who have always been quite an inspiration for me.”

In addition to his impressive scholarship, Ameriks was also personable. He was a beloved mentor for many graduate students, and he always prioritized time with family and friends. Colleagues described him as a bibliophile and a “scholar’s scholar” who constantly engaged in invigorating discussions.

“He was generous and gentle, always encouraging, and he was someone whose daily presence in Malloy Hall was a source of joy and delight for everyone who encountered him,” Newlands said. “He will be sorely missed.”

Ameriks is preceded in death by his parents and a brother. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine, an emerita associate teaching professor of Spanish at Notre Dame; two sons; three grandchildren; and his brother, John.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. May 31 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1021 Manchester Drive, South Bend. Memorial contributions may be made in Amerik’s honor to the American Cancer Society, the Northern Food Bank of Indiana, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Originally published by Mary Kinney at al.nd.edu on May 05, 2025.