View source for Hermann Samuel Reimarus

{{Short description|German philosopher (1694–1768)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
[[File:Hermann Samuel Reimarus.jpg|thumb|Hermann Samuel Reimarus]]
'''Hermann Samuel Reimarus''' (22 December 1694, [[Hamburg]] – 1 March 1768, Hamburg), was a German [[philosopher]] and writer of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] who is remembered for his [[Deism]], the doctrine that human reason can arrive at a [[existence of God|knowledge of God]] and ethics from a study of nature and our own internal reality, thus eliminating the need for religions based on revelation. He denied the [[supernatural]] origin of [[Christianity]],<ref name=nie>{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Reimarus, Hermann Samuel|year=1905}}</ref> and was the first influential critic to investigate the [[historical Jesus]].<ref name = "TM1998 1"/> According to Reimarus, Jesus was a mortal Jewish prophet, and the apostles founded Christianity as a religion separate from Jesus’ own ministry.<ref name = "TM1998 1">Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Fortress Press. 1998. translated from German (1996 edition). Chapter 1. The quest of the historical Jesus. p. 1–15.</ref>

==Biography==

Reimarus was educated by his father and by the scholar [[J. A. Fabricius]], whose son-in-law he subsequently became. He attended school at the [[Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums]]. He studied [[theology]], ancient languages, and philosophy at the [[Friedrich Schiller University of Jena|University of Jena]], became ''[[Privatdozent]]'' at the [[University of Wittenberg]] in 1716, and in 1720–21 visited the [[Netherlands]] and England. In 1723 he became rector of the high school at [[Wismar]], and in 1727 professor of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and Oriental languages at his native city's high school.<ref name=EB1911/> Although he was offered more lucrative positions by other schools, he held this post until his death.

His duties were light; and he employed his leisure in the study of [[philology]], [[mathematics]], [[philosophy]], [[history]], [[political economy]], [[science]] and [[natural history]], for which he made large collections. His house was the center of the highest culture of Hamburg; and a monument of his influence in that city still remains in the ''[[Haus der patriotischen Gesellschaft]]'', where the learned and artistic societies partly founded by him still meet. He had seven children, only three of whom survived him &ndash; the distinguished physician [[Johann Albert Heinrich Reimarus]], and two daughters, one of them being Elise Reimarus, [[Gotthold Lessing|Lessing]]'s friend and correspondent. Reimarus died on 1 March 1768.<ref name=EB1911/>

==Publications==

Reimarus' reputation as a scholar rests on the valuable edition of ''[[Dio Cassius]]'' (1750–52) which he prepared from the materials collected by Johann Andreas Fabricius. He published a work on logic (''[[Vernunftlehre als Anweisung zum richtigen Gebrauche der Vernunft]]'', 1756, 5th ed., 1790), and two popular books on the religious questions of the day. The first of these was a collection of essays on the principal truths of natural religion (''[[Abhandlungen von den vornehmsten Wahrheiten der natürlichen Religion]]'', 1755, 7th ed., 1798); the second (''[[Betrachtungen über die Triebe der Thiere]]'', 1760, 4th ed., 1798)<ref>The second edition can be found online : {{in lang|de}} {{Google books|c3FRAAAAMAAJ|Allgemeine Betrachtungen über die Triebe der Thiere, hauptsächlich über ihre Kunsttriebe. Zum Erkenntniss des Zusammenhanges der Welt, des Schöpfers und unser selbst|page=PP5}}, 2nd ed. Hamburg: Johann Carl Bohn, 1762</ref><ref name=EB1911/> dealt with one particular branch of the same subject.<ref name=EB1911/>

But Reimarus' main contribution to theological science was his analysis of the historical Jesus, ''[[Apologie oder Schutzschrift für die vernünftigen Verehrer Gottes]]'' ("An apology for, or some words in defense of, reasoning worshippers of God" – read by only a few intimate friends during his lifetime), which he left unpublished. After Reimarus' death, [[Gotthold Ephraim Lessing]] published parts of this work as "Fragments by an Anonymous Writer" in his ''Zur Geschichte und Literatur'' in 1774–1778, giving rise to what is known as the ''{{ill|Fragmentenstreit|de}}''.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim|volume=16|page=498|first1=James|last1=Sime|author1-link=James Sime|first2=John George|last2=Robertson|author2-link=John George Robertson}}</ref>  This had a deep impact as the beginning of [[Quest for the historical Jesus|critical research of the ''historical Jesus'']].

Reimarus pointed out the differences between what Jesus said and what the apostles said, identifying Jesus as a Jewish preacher. Jesus, according to this view, was an apocalyptic prophet preaching about a worldly kingdom soon to come. This view still has currency within modern scholarship. Reimarus also considered Christianity to be a fabrication.

Reimarus' philosophical position is essentially that of [[Christian Wolff (philosopher)|Christian Wolff]], but he is best known for his ''Apologie'' as excerpted by Lessing in what became known as the ''Wolfenbüttel Fragmente''. The original manuscript is in the Hamburg town library. A copy was made for the university library of [[university of Göttingen|Göttingen]], 1814, and other copies are known to exist. In addition to the seven fragments published by Lessing, a second portion of the work was issued in 1787 by C. A. E. Schmidt (a pseudonym), under the title ''Übrige noch ungedruckte Werke des Wolfenbüttelschen Fragmentisten'', and a further portion by [[D. W. Klose]] in [[Christian Wilhelm Niedner]]'s ''Zeitschrift für historische Theologie'', 1850-52. The complete work has been published as edited by Gerhard Alexander (2 vols, Frankfurt am Main: Insel, 1972). [[D. F. Strauss]] has given an exhaustive analysis of the whole work in his book on Reimarus.<ref name=EB1911/>

The standpoint of the ''Apologie'' is that of pure naturalistic [[Deism]]. Miracles and mysteries are denied and natural religion is put forward as the absolute contradiction of revealed religion. The essential truths of the former are the existence of a wise and good Creator and the immortality of the soul. These truths are discoverable by reason, and can constitute the basis of a universal religion. A revealed religion could never obtain universality, as it could never be intelligible and credible to all men. However, the Bible does not present such a revelation. It abounds in error as to matters of fact, contradicts human experience, reason and morals, and is one tissue of folly, deceit, enthusiasm, selfishness and crime. Moreover, it is not a doctrinal compendium, or catechism, which a revelation would have to be.<ref name=EB1911/>

According to Reimarus, the [[Old Testament]] says little of the worship of [[God]], and that little is worthless, while its writers are unacquainted with the second fundamental truth of religion, the [[immortality of the soul]] (see [[sheol]]). The design of the writers of the [[New Testament]], as well as that of [[Jesus]], was not to teach true rational religion, but to serve their own selfish ambitions, thereby exhibiting an amazing combination of conscious fraud and enthusiasm. However, it is important to remember that Reimarus attacked [[atheism]] with equal effect and sincerity.<ref name=EB1911/>

==Analysis==
Estimates of Reimarus may be found in the works of B. Pünjer, [[Otto Pfleiderer]] and [[Harald Høffding]]. Pünjer states the position of Reimarus as follows: "God is the Creator of the world, and His wisdom and goodness are conspicuous in it. Immortality is founded upon the essential nature of man and upon the purpose of God in creation. Religion is conducive to our happiness and alone brings satisfaction. Miracles are at variance with the divine purpose; without miracles there could be no revelation."<ref name=EB1911/>

Pfleiderer says the errors of Reimarus were that he ignored historical and literary criticism, sources, date, origin, etc., of documents, and the narratives were said to be either purely divine or purely human. He had no conception of an immanent reason.<ref name=EB1911/>

Høffding also has a brief section on the ''Apologie'', stating its main position as follows:<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|wstitle=Reimarus, Hermann Samuel |volume=23 |page=53 |inline=1}}</ref>

{{quote|"Natural religion suffices; a revelation is therefore superfluous. Moreover, such a thing is both physically and morally impossible. God cannot interrupt His own work by miracles; nor can He favour some men above others by revelations which are not granted to all, and with which it is not even possible for all to become acquainted. But of all doctrines that of eternal punishment is most contrary, Reimarus thinks, to true ideas of God; and it was this point which first caused him to stumble."<ref name=EB1911/>}}

The work of Reimarus was highly praised by [[Albert Schweitzer]].  While calling the views expressed in the ''Fragments'' mistaken in some respects and one-sided, Schweitzer describes the essay on "The Aims of Jesus and His Disciples" as not only "one of the greatest events in the history of criticism" but also "a masterpiece of general literature".  Lessing's third excerpt in ''Fragments'', "On the Passing of the Israelites Through the Red Sea," is said to be "one of the ablest, wittiest and most acute which has ever been written."<ref>''Von Reimarus zu Wrede'', English translation by W. Montgomery as ''The Quest of the Historical Jesus''.</ref>

[[Richard N. Soulen]] points out that Reimarus "is treated as the initiator of ‘Lives of Jesus Research’ by Schweitzer and accorded special honour by him for recognising that Jesus' thought-world was essentially [[eschatological]], a fact overlooked until the end of the 19th century."<ref>''Handbook of Biblical Criticism'', Atlanta 1981, pp.&nbsp;166–7.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Karl Friedrich Bahrdt]] – another rationalist theologian (1741–1792)
* [[Heinrich Paulus]] – another rationalist theologian (1761–1851)

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Büttner, Wilhelm. ''Hermann Samuel Reimarus als Metaphysiker''. Schöningh, Paderborn 1909 (Diss. Würzburg, 1908).
* Fleischer, Dirk. "Reimarus, Hermann Samuel." In: ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'' (NDB). Vol. 21, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2003, {{ISBN|3-428-11202-4}}, S. 337 f. (digitized).
* Groetsch, Ulrich. ''Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694–1768): Classicist, Hebraist, Enlightenment Radical in Disguise''. Brill, Leiden, 2015, {{ISBN|978-90-04-27299-6}}.
* Wulf Kellerwessel. "Hermann Samuel Reimarus' Bibel- und Religionskritik." In ''Aufklärung und Kritik''. Vol. 17 (2010), pp.&nbsp;159–169.
* Klein, Dietrich. ''Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694–1768). Das theologische Werk''. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-16-149912-8}}.
* Mulsow, Martin (ed.). ''Between Philology and Radical Enlightenment: Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694–1768)''. Leiden and New York, 2011,{{ISBN|978-9-00-420946-6}}. 
* Mulzer, Martin. "Reimarus, Hermann Samuel." In Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier, eds. ''Das wissenschaftliche Bibellexikon im Internet'' (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff.
* Lachner, Raimund. "Hermann Samuel Reimarus." In ''Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon.'' Vol. 7, Bautz, Herzberg 1994, {{ISBN|3-88309-048-4}}, pp.&nbsp;1514–1520.
* Overhoff, Jürgen. "Reimarus, Hermann Samuel." In ''Hamburgische Biografie'', Vol. 4, Wallstein, Göttingen 2008, {{ISBN|978-3-8353-0229-7}}, pp.&nbsp;278–280.
* Raupp, Werner: Reimarus, Hermann Samuel (1694-1768). In: The Dictionary of Eighteenth-Century German Philosophers. General Editors Heiner F. Klemme, Manfred Kuehn, vol. 3, London/New York 2010 ({{ISBN|978-0-8264-1862-3}}), p.&nbsp;923–928.
* Schultze, Harald. ''Reimarus, Hermann Samuel''. In ''Theologische Realenzyklopädie''. Vol. 28 (1997): 470–473.
* Steiger, Johann Anselm. "Bibliotheca Reimariana: Die Bibliothek des Hamburger Aufklärers und Gelehrten Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694–1768)." In ''Wolfenbütteler Notizen zur Buchgeschichte''. ISSN 0341-2253. Vol. 30 (2005): 145–154.

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons|Hermann Samuel Reimarus}}
*[https://archive.org/details/fragmentsfromrei00reim ''Fragments from Reimarus''] English 1879
*[https://archive.org/stream/posthumousessays00colluoft#page/228/mode/1up ''The Posthumous Essays of John Churton Collins''] [[John Churton Collins]] 1912  p 229ff ''Browning and Lessing''
*[http://homepages.which.net/~radical.faith/thought/reimarus.htm Radical Faith - exploring faith in a changed world: ''Hermann Reimarus''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603085426/http://homepages.which.net/~radical.faith/thought/reimarus.htm |date=3 June 2015 }}
*[http://homepages.which.net/~radical.faith/thought/lessing.htm Radical Faith - exploring faith in a changed world: ''G. E. Lessing'']
*[https://archive.today/20130112162625/http://www.ccel.org/php/disp.php?authorID=schaff&bookID=encyc12&page=402&view New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. XII, pp. 402-403: ''Wolfenbüttel Fragments'']
*[http://homes.rhein-zeitung.de/~ahipler/kritik/reimarus.htm ''Fragmente eines Ungenannten (Hrsg. Lessing'') (Note that the common engl. translation "Fragments by an Unknown Author" is misleading; the German adjective "ungenannt" means "anonymous".)]
*[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/schweitzer/chapter2.html Albert Schweitzer, (Ed.)Peter Kirby, ''The Quest of the Historical Jesus: Chapter II: Hermann Samuel Reimarus'']
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle = Hermann Samuel Reimarus |volume= XX |last= |first= |author-link= | page= |short=1}}
*[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9063095 Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: ''Reimarus, Hermann Samuel'']
*[http://www.liberliber.de Liber Liber]
*[http://www.gkoehn.com/miscellaneous-translations English translation of the Third Fragment  ''Passing of the Israelites Through the Red Sea'']
*[http://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/Lebenswelt/article/view/1636/2587 Metaphor and Boundary: H. S. Reimarus' Vernunftlehre as Kant's Source] by Serena Feloj (PDF)
*[http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-04-09/newspaper-letters/How-Jesus-became-Christian-6736172694 Views on Jesus and Paul of Tarsus]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Reimarus, Hermann Samuel}}
[[Category:1694 births]]
[[Category:1768 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century German philosophers]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Wittenberg]]
[[Category:German critics of Christianity]]
[[Category:German deists]]
[[Category:German male writers]]
[[Category:Honorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:People educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums]]
[[Category:University of Jena alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Hamburg]]