Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-72)

Major work

•          The Essence of Christianity

•          Principles of the Philosophy of the Future

Importance

•          A leading Left Hegelian

•          Said philosophy needs to become anthropology—man stands at the center of the world

•          Was hostile to religion

•          Argued against personal immortality

•          promoted naturalistic humanism

•          God is the essence of man himself

•          Believed the nation state to be the ideal human community

•          Said the dissolution of Protestantism will make way for a democratic republican state

•          Became a critic of Hegel

•          His ideas became important to Marx and Engels