13 Facts About Ludwig Feuerbach

1.

Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach was a German anthropologist and philosopher, best known for his book The Essence of Christianity, which provided a critique of Christianity that strongly influenced generations of later thinkers, including Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Engels, Richard Wagner, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

2.

An associate of Young Hegelian circles, Feuerbach advocated atheism and anthropological materialism.

3.

Ludwig Feuerbach's thought was influential in the development of historical materialism, where he is often recognized as a bridge between Hegel and Marx.

4.

Ludwig Feuerbach matriculated in the University of Heidelberg in 1823 with the intention of pursuing a career in the Lutheran church.

5.

Ludwig Feuerbach completed his education at the University of Erlangen with the study of natural science.

6.

Ludwig Feuerbach earned his doctorate from Erlangen on 25 July 1828 with his thesis De infinitate, unitate, atque, communitate, rationis, while he habilitated there in November 1828 with his thesis De ratione una, universali, infinita.

7.

Ludwig Feuerbach's theme was a derivation of Hegel's speculative theology in which the Creation remains a part of the Creator, while the Creator remains greater than the Creation.

8.

In part I of his book Ludwig Feuerbach develops what he calls the "true or anthropological essence of religion".

9.

The force of this attraction to religion, though, giving divinity to a figure like God, is explained by Ludwig Feuerbach as God is a being that acts throughout humans in all forms.

10.

Therefore, Ludwig Feuerbach says, when humans remove all qualities from God, "God is no longer anything more to him than a negative being".

11.

Ludwig Feuerbach is buried in Johannis-Friedhof Cemetery in Nuremberg, which is where the artist Albrecht Durer is interred.

12.

Essentially the thought of Ludwig Feuerbach consisted in a new interpretation of religion's phenomena, giving an anthropological explanation.

13.

Recently, Ludwig Feuerbach was "reunderstood" as one of the forerunners of modern media theory.