FEUERBACH, LUDWIG ANDREAS (1804.72). A German philosopher, fourth son of Paul Johann Anselm Feuerbach. lie was horn at Landshut. After studying theology for two years at Heidelberg under Paulus and Daub, in 1824 he was attracted to Berlin for the purpose of hearing Hegel, and soon afterwards he abandoned theology to devote himself entirely to philosophy. In 1828 he became privat-docent in the University of Erlangen, but in a few years quitted the academical chair, and gave up his whole time to literary labor, residing at Bruckberg near Bay reuth till 1860, when he settled near Nuremberg. In a small anonymous work (Oedanken fiber Tod end Unsterblichkeit, 1830), he indicated that lie had already gone beyond the standpoint. of his ter, Hegel, by combating the doctrine of immortal ity. During the next few years he published three works on portions of the history of philosophy, treating severely the periods from Bacon to Spinoza, of Leibnitz, and of Bayle. But these his torical works only paved the way to a critical investigation into the nature of religion and its relation to philosophy. The most celebrated re sult of this is his work on the nature of Christianity (Das Wesen des Christentunis, 1841), which was translated into English by George Elint, under the title The Essence of Christianity. Starting from the Hegelian doc trine that the absolute comes to consciousness in humanity, Feuerhach denies to God any existence except as an idealized object of human conscious ness. The conception of God is thus merely the
projection by man of his own ideal into the ob jective world. All authority above man is re garded as a delusion proceeding from man him self, and the highest good is explained as that which is on the whole most pleasurable. Yet even this highest good is further explained as consisting in resemblance to that idea] humanity which man creates for himself, and worships as God. In a later work he says that man is only what he eats (Der Jlensch ist nu• ices Cr isst i. This is not meant as an utterance of materialism, for according to Feuerbaeh materialism is a theory that resolves reality into the nature of extended substance, and thus fails to do justice to the sensuous features that experience reveals. Sensationalism is the proper term to apply to Feuerbaeh's philosophy, and yet it is a refined sensationalism, recognizing, whether consistently or inconsistently, the moral values. Although the impulse toward pleasure is the basis of all morality, the pleasure of others must he con sidered as of equal importance with one's own pleasure. (See UTILITARIANISM.) The works of Feuerbach have been collected and published in ten volumes (Leipzig. S46-66). He died Sep tember 13. 1872. For his life, consult: Griin (Leipzig, 1874) : Beyer (Leipzig. 1873) ; and Stareke (Stuttgart. 1885).