EBERHARD, JOHANN AUGUSTUS
German theologian and philosopher, was born at Halberstadt, Lower Saxony, where his father was singing master at the church of St. Martin's, and teacher of the school of the same name. He studied theology at the university of Halle, and took orders. At Berlin he formed a close friendship with. Nicolai and Moses Men delssohn. His Neue Apologie des Socrates (1772) hindered his preferment. But in 1774 he was appointed to the living of Char lottenburg, and in 1778 became professor of philosophy at Halle. He died on Jan. 6, 1809.
Amyntor, eine Geschichte in Briefen (Berlin, 1782) —written to counteract the influence of those sceptical and Epicurean principles in religion and morals then so prevalent in France, and rapidly spreading in Germany ; Uber die Zeichen der Aufkldrung einer Nation, etc. (Halle, 1783) ; Theorie der schonen Kiinste and Wissenschaften, etc. (Halle, 1783, 3rd ed., 1790) ; All gemeine Geschichte der Philosophie, etc. (Halle, 1788; 2nd ed. with a continuation and chronological tables, 1796) ; Versuch einer allge meinen-deutschen Synonymik (Halle and Leipzig, 1795-1802, 6 vols., 4th ed., 1852-53), long reckoned the best work on the synonyms of the German language (author's abridgment, 1 vol., Halle, 1802) ; Handbuch der Aesthetik (Halle, 1803-05, 2nd ed., 1807-20) .
See F. Nicolai, Geddchtnisschrift auf J. A. Eberhard (Berlin and Stettin, 1810) ; also K. H. Jordens, Lexicon deutscher Dichter and Prosaisten.
