Fritz Mauthner, the Conformist Heretic
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This essay’s focus is on the German-Jewish philosopher, language critic, and writer Fritz Mauthner (1849–1923). It addresses a rarely considered late work by Mauthner, namely his four volumes on the history of atheism (1920–1923). I argue that this atheism forms a core element of Mauthner’s self-narrative and complements his autobiography Erinnerungen (1918). The self Mauther forged was shaped by the experiences of a Jew from a Frankist and non-religious Jewish family in the era of emancipation and acculturation, by turning points such as the First World War, and by a widespread fascination with Buddhism Mauthner shared.
Source: Secular Studies
Author: Carolin Kosuch
Institution: University of Göttingen
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4409514201