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The Essence of Religion (Paperback)
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The Essence of Religion (Paperback)
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Loot Price R411
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You Save R140 (25%)
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Originally published in 1845, this concise critique formed the
basis of thirty later lectures delivered in 1848 by Ludwig
Feuerbach, one of Germany's most influential humanist philosophers.
In The Essence of Religion Feuerbach applied the analysis expounded
in The Essence of Christianity (1841) to religion as a whole. The
main thrust of Feuerbach's argument is aptly summed up in the
original subtitle to this work: "God the Image of Man. Man's
Dependence upon Nature the Last and Only Source of Religion."
Feuerbach reviews key aspects of religious belief and in each case
explains them as imaginative elaborations of the primal awe and
sense of dependence that humans experience in the face of nature's
power and mystery. Rather than humans being created in the image of
God, the situation is quite the reverse: "All theology is
anthropology," he says, and "the being whom man sets over against
himself as a separate supernatural existence is his own
being."
Feuerbach goes on to argue that the attributes of God are no more
than reflections of the various needs of human nature. Further, as
human civilization has advanced, the role of God has gradually
diminished. In ancient times, before human beings had any
scientific understanding of the way nature works, divine powers
were seen behind every natural manifestation, from lightning bolts
to the change of seasons. By contrast, in the modern era, when an
in-depth understanding of natural causes has been achieved, there
is no longer any need to imagine God behind the workings of nature:
"He who for his God has no other material than that which natural
science, philosophy, or natural observation generally furnishes to
him . . . ought to be honest enough also to abstain from using the
name of God, for a natural principle is always a natural essence
and not what constitutes the idea of a God."
Feuerbach's naturalistic philosophy had a decisive influence on
Karl Marx and radical theologians such as Bruno Bauer and David
Friedrich Strauss. His incisive critique remains a challenge to
religion to this day.
General
Imprint: |
Prometheus Books
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
June 2004 |
First published: |
June 2004 |
Authors: |
Ludwig Feuerbach
|
Dimensions: |
230 x 150 x 6mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
80 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-59102-213-8 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
Philosophy >
General
Books >
Philosophy >
General
|
LSN: |
1-59102-213-4 |
Barcode: |
9781591022138 |
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