ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɪks, kˈɪtlɚ ɹᵻsˈiːvd hɪz dˈɑːktɚɹˌeɪt ɪn fɪlˈɑːsəfi ˈæftɚɹ ɐ θˈiːsɪs ɔnðə pˈoʊɪt kˈɑːnɹæd fˈɜːdɪnˌænd mˈeɪɚ.
In 1976, Kittler received his doctorate in philosophy after a thesis on the poet Conrad Ferdinand Meyer.