The Essence of Religion (Great Books in Philosophy)

Originally published in 1845, this digest of thirty lectures by one of Germany's most influential humanist philosophers extends the critique expounded in THE EDDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY (1841) to religion as a whole. The original subtitle to this work--"God the Image of Man: Man's Dependence upon Nature the Last and Only Source of Religion"--aptly sums up the main thrust of Ludwig Feuerbach's analysis of religion. He reviews key aspects of religious beliefs, in each case explaining them as imaginative elaborations of the primal awe and sense of dependence that humans experience in the face of nature's power and mystery. Rather than man being created in the image of God, the situation is reversed. Feuerbach argues that the attributes of God reflect the various needs of human nature. In ancient times, before human beings had any scientific understanding of nature, divine powers were seen behind every natural manifestation, from lightning bolts to the change of seasons. By contrast, in the modern era, when an in-depth understanding of natural causes has been achieved, there is no longer any need to imagine God behind the workings of nature. Feuerbach's naturalistic philosophy had a decisive influence on Karl Marx and radical theologians such as Bruno Bauer and David Friedrich Strauss. His incisive critique remains a challenge to religion to this day.