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Many Years Ago I Bought at an Auction a Long Letter Human Being: A Series of Humorous-Philosophical Aphorisms. 1834", and then with six further unknown Feuerbach sections, dated 1846. The rest of the 1846 letter seems self-explanatory. 1 ' A number of words and phrases By Walter Kaufmann in Feuerbach's letter were under- lined by him, and they are given Many years ago I bought at an " Feuerbach to Noack, op cit". The man university), as the editor of was the name Goethe and Schiller here in italics. Some of the things auction a long letter written and wording of the quoted passages Jahrbiicher fur spekulative Philo- had given to the satirical couplets he omits are as significant as those signed by Ludwig Feuerbach, and often agrees entirely with the letter sophic (1846-48) and of the journal in which they criticized their age, he stresses. To mention only the dated by him June 23, 1846. The I have, but frequently it deviates Psyche (1858-63), and as the author in high spirits. Their use of the most obvious examples, he makes letter is of exceptional interest, and slightly. This raised the question of more than ten books. word was derived from Martial who no reference at all to his book on I have long planned to publish it. Whether Griin was careless and un- had employed the same tag for Christianity and his relation to the But there were problems. reliable, or whether the letter sent Noack did" not make any use of some of his Latin verses in the first Feuerbach's letter in the Jahrbiicher young Hegelians. But what he wrote Feuerbach was probably Hegel's to Noack in 1846 was slightly dif- century AD. The barbed distichs to Noack provides an attractive ferent from the one I have, which in 1846 or 1847. I have not seen of Goethe and Schiller had pro- introduction to Feuerbach. And most original and influential stu- was written the same his other early publications. But the voked many attacks on them, but dent, and among those he influ- most important questions raised by that seems to have been his inten- enced profoundly was Karl Marx. In one place Griin has thirteen their enemies were in no position to tion. Griin's quotations are resolved by * * * In every study of Marx's develop- words that are not found in my do them lasting harm. Noack's Philosophie-geschiehtliches . ment the thought of Feuerbach must text; in another, nineteen. Often Lexikon : Historisch-biographisches My thesis, presented in a recent Bruckberg, 23 June, 1846 be discussed. Their names are also he substitutes synonyms or some- Handworterbuch zur Geschichte der issue of the TLS (January 2, 1976), Estimable Sir ! permanently linked by Marx's cele- what different phrasing. It may be Philosophic (Leipzig 1879). In his that Goethe had an immense influ- Enclosed I am returning to you brated " Theses on Feuerbach" well to give an example. In Griin's long article on Feuerbach (pages ence on German philosophy after the list of my writings. Only a which end: " The philosophers have version Feuerbach says of his 263-274, two columns per page) Kant, is beautifully illustrated by single addition by my hand proved merely interpreted the world differ- early decision to become a theolo- Noack, without using quotation Feuerbach, who might be thought to necessary. Yet I must immediately ently, but what matters is to change gian: "But what I was to become marks, often follows the exact stand in an altogether different note, in case you should not have it." These theses, anthologized again some day, I wanted to be even now. wording of the letter I have, even tradition. His first book appeared found out about this yet through and again, were written in 1845, Therefore I immersed myself, even in places where Griin's version while Goethe was still living, and booksellers or something in print, and published with some revisions while still at the Gymnasium, in the differs. Incidentally, he lists Griin the title-page read : " Thoughts on that at present an edition of my by Friedrich Engels in Ludwig Bible, as the foundation of Chris- at the end in his bibliography. Death and Immortality from the complete writings is appearing. Feuerbach und der Ausgang der tian theology." My text reads in- Papers of a Thinker, together with Actually, the first volume has klassischen deutschen Philosophic stead: "But this future vocation I Clearly, the letter I have was wanted to realize even then as an Appendix of Theological-Satirical already appeared, or at least (1888). to Noack, who used large parts of Xenien, edited by one of his friends. is in my hands, and therefore Feuerbach's most famous book, much as possible, both practically it, though by no means all of it, in Nurnberg 1830." surely also in the stores. The Essence of Christianity, pub- and theoretically. Therefore I this article. Griin's ample quota- It contains not only previ- lished in 1841, was translated into immersed myself, even while still tions are very free and inexact, but The author's name appeared only ously, known critiques and essays English by George Eliot (1854). In at the Gymnasium, in the Bible and his deviations do not betray a con- in the second edition, in 1847, the but also new pieces that * correct, the twentieth century, Karl Barth other theological books." sistent tendency. He evidently quoted year after the letter to Noack was augment, and illuminate my works and Martin Buber owed much to Here is another example. In the from a draft he found in Feuer- written. But it became known in important ways. In the preface Feuerbach. letter I have, Feuerbach writes: bach's Nachlass. That would also quickly that Feuerbach was the I have also furnished a few, albeit "The halfness of all theology, the explain why he did not include this author, and those who felt outraged only brief, hints concerning the The letter covers both sides of a letter in its proper chronological by his irreverent wit were able to large sheet, crowding thirty-seven contradictions among its basic course and continuity of my philo- principles, seemed utterly outrage- place in the correspondence. The keep him from ever obtaining a pro- sophical curriculum vitae. The same long lines on the first and thirty- fact that Griin specifically says fessorship. This was doubly hurtful eight on the second side, not count- ous to my sense of truth and to my subject occupies me now in con- soul which desired unity, decisive- " Manuscript" in his footnote shows because Feuerbach had not con- nection with the second volume, ing date, address, closing formula, sidered the book ready for publica- and signature; and what it offers ness, and an unconditional atti- that Noack had not published the which will contain my general tude." Griin's version: "The theo- letter before 1874; and since Noack tion when one of his friends had philosophical critiques and thoughts, is an intellectual autobiography. I it printed; and as Feuerbach have been slow to publish it because logical mishmash of freedom and himself did not employ quotation while the first contains my writ- dependence, reason and faith, was marks when he used Feuerbach's explains in his letter, some of the ings on philosophy of religion. I had great difficulty reading a few Xenien in the first edition were words, and I wanted to discover, if deadly abhorrent to my soul which text, it stands to reason that he desired truth, that is unity, decisive- did not plan to publish the letter. actually not by him but contributed The third volume will bring the possible, to whom it was addressed by the editor. These Xenien, most humorous-nhilosophical aphorisms and whether it was known. ness, and an unconditional The last .word, incidentally, that attitude." had defied my efforts at deciphering of which are identified in the and thoughts on death and immor- In Karl Griin's edition of the cor- the writing is " botany", which letter, were omitted in the second tality. What is to become of the respondence (Ludwig Feuerbach in Much of the time, however, Noack had been able to read. edition along with others that prose of this work, I do not know seinem Briefwechsel und Nachlass Griin's wording agrees entirely with Feuerbach no longer liked. But the yet, but the poetical part has sowie in seiner Philosophischen that in my text, though he does not For those who are not Feuerbach title " Theological-Satirical Xenien ", already passed its rigorous examina- Charakterentwicklung, two volumes, use all of the letter. Who, then, was specialists—and there are few as well as the form, both modelled tion. Only approximately one third 1874) the letter is not included. But Noack ? He is scarcely remembered indeed who are—this succinct auto- on Goethe and Schiller, was of the Xenien I still recognize to- a long quotation in Griin's text in now, but in Rudolf Eisler's com- biographical sketch offers an inter- Feuerbach's. day as flesh of my flesh. As you Volume 1 (pages 11-12) is foot- prehensive Philosophen-Lexikon esting approach to his development. see, I am engaged in the critical noted: "L. Feuerbach to L. Noack. (Berlin, 1912) Ludwig Noack (1819- But the final paragraph requires The second edition no longer reproduction of myself and thus (Manuscript) 1846." After that, sev- 85) is identified as a professor and explanation. Xenien, literally gifts ends with this " Appendix ". It con- am now giving tz the world in this eral other quotations are footnoted librarian at Giessen (a minor Ger- that hosts present to their guests, tinues with " The Author and the new edition a complete picture of 1124: TLS SEPTEMBER 10 1976 myself—at least one that is more to my sense of truth and to my complete than has been available soul which desired unity, decisive- so far.
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