supplemental reading

Feuerbach is one of my favorite of the minor philosophers. His work is engaging, insightful and relatively easy to read. He is also a key bridge in understanding modern philosophy and theology. I’ve included here a longer excerpt on 'religion as projection, as well as a good introductory article by Van Harvey a link to his famous Essence of Christianity and a book of selected readings.

reflection

Feuerbach is vitally important in understanding the genesis of the materialist critique of religion. As I explored in this weeks seminar, he applies Hegel’s description of the development of self-consciousness to the understanding of our relationship to God. For humanity to come to know and embody its essence, it must first project that essence onto an external screen (God), hone that projection, then directly identify with that projection.

Feuerbach can be seen as the first person to offer a systematic and detailed account of the purpose of religion that didn’t require a supernatural explanation. An account that took seriously the lived reality, scriptures and practices of religious people. While people like Max Stirner and Marx are largely seen as correctly critiquing an important element of Feuerbach’s Humanist approach (the ahistorical element in which God is seen as a projection of human essence, rather than a projection of the current Mode of Production), his perspective was vital for the development of Marx’s view.

God as Projection

Ludwig Feuerbach (1804 – 1872) was best known for his book The Essence of Christianity, which provided powerful a critique of Christianity which strongly influenced generations of later thinkers, including both Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

His philosophical writings had a deep understanding and appreciation of theology. Indeed he saw himself as a friend of theology who was merely helping to reveal the materialist truth of its message. His thought was influential in the development of historical materialism. He is often recognized as a bridge between Hegel and Marx.

The following excerpts touch on his most important and lasting contribution to the critique of religion: the idea of God as a projection of the human essence.