MAUTHNER, mout'ner, Fritz, German novelist and philologist: b. Horzitz. Bohemia, 29 Nov. 1849 of well-to-do Jewish family; went to Prague at an early age, studied law there and became a contributor (1876) of the Berliner Tageblatt for which he continued writ ing in various departments (particularly dra matic criticism) until 1905, when he retired from newspaper work and moved from Berlin (where most of his active life was spent) to Freiburg im Breisgau; he lived at Meersburg on Lake Constance from 1909. While he has written novels and satiric romances, his greatest work is in the field of philosophical criticism of language as a means of expression; his position on this matter is best expressed in a large book: (Beitrage zu einer Kritik der Sprache' (Vol. I, (Sprache und Psychologie,> 1901; Vol. II, Sprachwissenschaft,' 1901; Vol. III, 'Zur Grammatik und Logik,) 1902) ; and in an alphabetically arranged summary of the contents of this work, in dictionary form: (Worterbuch der Philosophic' (Munich and Leipzig 1910). His criticism is poetic and de structive rather than social in its import; his style smooth and brilliant. His most famous
work before he undertook scholarly production was 'Nash veriihmten Muster& (Stuttgart 1878; 30th ed., 1902), a set of parodies of well-known German and foreign writers, in the manner of Bret Harte. In 1914 he published a collection of newspaper articles that had appeared in previous years, under the title, (Gespriche im Himmel,' and in 1918 began the publication of an autobiographical work, the first volume of which deals with his school days in Bohemia and is a rather bitter attack upon The educational system of the time. Among other works are Worn armen Fran ischko' (Dresden 1879) ; 'Die Sonntage der Baronin> (Dresden 1881) ; 'Der neue Ahasver> (Dresden 1881) ; (Dresden 1884); (Aturenbriefe> (Dresden 1885) ; 'Berlin W.> (a cycle of three novels, Dresden 1886-90) ; 'Die bunte Reihe' (Munich 1896). There may be had, in English translation, 'Aristotle, an Unhistorical Essay' (New York 1906). On Mauthner's philosophical doctrine, consult Wells, H. G., 'A Criticism of the InstriunenV (appendix to 'A Modern Utopia' 1905).