How did professionalization change philosophy in Germany during the Enlightenment?

During the Enlightenment, Germany led the transition of philosophy from an activity practiced by amateurs and gentlemen into a rigorous, professional discipline rooted in the universities. This transformation was driven by several key developments:1

• Institutionalization: The University of Halle served as a primary hub for this shift. Universities began to distinguish philosophy as a faculty separate from theology, and scholars like Christian Thomasius broke from tradition by lecturing in the vernacular rather than Latin.12
• Systematization and Vocabulary: Christian Wolff was instrumental in establishing a professional standard. He introduced a systematic approach to the discipline, authored influential textbooks, and created a specialized philosophical vocabulary that remains in use today.1
• Scholarly Infrastructure: The era saw the birth of professional scholarly journals dedicated exclusively to philosophical discourse, such as Acta Philosophorum, and a growing academic focus on the history of philosophy, evidenced by the publication of voluminous historical surveys.1

These changes established a model of the philosopher as a specialized academic, a trend that would eventually influence the broader development of Western philosophy.13