Franz Xaver von Baader facts for kids
Franz von Baader (born Benedikt Franz Xaver Baader on March 27, 1765 – died May 23, 1841) was a German Catholic thinker, theologian, doctor, and mining engineer. He didn't agree with the popular ideas of his time that focused only on what could be observed or experienced. Instead, he thought that much of Western philosophy since Descartes was leading towards atheism. He is seen as someone who helped bring back older ways of thinking, similar to the Scholastic school.
Franz von Baader was a very important theologian in his era. He also helped bring the ideas of Meister Eckhart back into academic discussions and into Christianity and Theosophy more generally.
Life
Benedikt Franz Xaver Baader was born in Munich, Bavaria, on March 27, 1765. His father, Joseph Franz von Paula Baader, became the court doctor for the Elector of Bavaria in 1775.
Franz had two older brothers who were also well-known. Clemens Alois Andreas Baader was a writer. Joseph Anton Ignaz Baader was an engineer.
Franz first studied medicine in Ingolstadt and Vienna. He even helped his father with his medical work for a short time. However, he soon realized that being a doctor wasn't for him. He decided to become a mining engineer instead. He studied in Freiberg, traveled through mining areas in Germany, and lived in England from 1792 to 1796.
While in England, Franz von Baader learned about the ideas of philosophers like David Hume and William Godwin. He didn't like these ideas much. But he also found the mystical ideas of Meister Eckhart, Louis Claude de Saint-Martin, and especially Jakob Böhme more interesting. In 1796, he went back to Germany. There, he became good friends with F. H. Jacobi. He also met Friedrich Schelling. Baader's early writings were influenced by Schelling, but Baader always kept his own independent thoughts.
Their friendship lasted until about 1822. At that time, Baader wrote a letter to Tsar Alexander I criticizing modern philosophy. This completely ended his friendship with Schelling.
During this time, Baader continued his work as a mining engineer. He won a large prize for inventing a new way to make glass using sodium sulfate instead of potash. From 1817 to 1820, he was the superintendent of mines. He was even given a noble title for his excellent work. He retired in 1820. After retiring, he published one of his best works, Fermenta Cognitionis, between 1822 and 1825. In this book, he argued against modern philosophy and suggested studying Böhme's ideas.
In 1826, when a new university opened in Munich, he became a professor of philosophy and theology. He published some of his lectures from 1827 to 1836, titled Spekulative Dogmatik.
In 1838, he publicly disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church getting involved in government matters. Because of this, he was not allowed to lecture on the philosophy of religion during the last three years of his life. He passed away on May 23, 1841. He is buried in the Alter Südfriedhof in Munich.
Philosophy
It's a bit tricky to explain Baader's philosophy simply. He often shared his deepest thoughts in short, unclear sayings or using mystical symbols. His ideas are mostly found in short essays, notes on other writers' works, or in his many letters and journals.
However, some main points stand out. Baader believed that human reason alone cannot fully understand everything. He felt that we cannot ignore the importance of faith, the church, and traditions. His ideas are similar to Scholasticism. Like the Scholastics, he thought that theology (the study of God) and philosophy (the study of knowledge and existence) are not against each other. Instead, reason helps to make clear the truths given by faith and revelation.
He also tried to bring faith and knowledge even closer. In this, he was similar to mystics like Meister Eckhart and Böhme. Baader believed that our existence depends on God knowing us. He said, "I am thought of, therefore I think and am." This means that all self-awareness is also an awareness of God. All knowledge is knowing with, or being part of, God.
Theology
Baader's philosophy is a type of theosophy. This means he believed in understanding God through mystical insight. He thought of God not just as an abstract being, but as the main "Will" behind everything. God is an ongoing process or activity.
This process is like God generating Himself. We can see two sides to this: an inner, hidden side and an outer, visible side. God becomes spirit only when the "primitive will" thinks or is aware of itself. The Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is not just given, but it becomes possible through God's eternal wisdom. This wisdom exists alongside the "primitive will."
Personality and real existence are given to parts of this Trinity through nature. Nature is always and necessarily produced by God. These parts of existence don't happen one after another in time. Instead, they happen as necessary parts of God's own development. This "nature" is different from the Creation of the world. The Creation was a free act of God's love and will, not something that had to happen.
Baader believed that created beings were originally of three types:
- Intelligent beings (like angels)
- The non-intelligent material world
- Man, who connected the other two.
Angels and humans were given freedom. The Fall of Adam and Lucifer were real events that were possible, but not necessary. Baader thought angels fell because they wanted to be equal to God (this is pride). Humans fell by letting themselves sink to the level of nature (through various bodily sins).
Baader believed that the world as we know it – with time, space, and matter – only began after humanity's fall. It was created as a gift from God to give humans a chance for redemption. He developed ideas about how our bodies and minds work based on this view. He mainly agreed with Böhme's ideas. He showed how different sins have bad effects and how removing them can bring back natural harmony.
His system of ethics (moral principles) disagreed with the idea that just following moral laws (like in Kantianism) is enough. Instead, he believed that humans need to understand and take part in their place in God's plan. Since grace (God's help) is needed for this understanding, no ethical theory that ignores sin and redemption can be complete. Simply doing "good works" is never enough. Instead, the healing power of Christ must be received, mainly through prayer and the sacraments of the church.
Baader was considered one of the greatest thinkers in 19th-century Catholicism. He influenced many others, including Richard Rothe and Julius Müller.
Politics
Baader believed that two things were needed for a stable state:
- Everyone must obey the ruler. Without this, there would be civil war or invasion.
- There must be different levels of rank or status. Without this, there would be no organization.
Baader thought that God alone was the true ruler of humanity. So, he argued that loyalty to a government could only be real if that government was truly Christian. He was against despotism (rule by a single powerful leader), socialism, and liberalism equally. His ideal state was a community ruled by the Catholic Church. Its principles were against both passive religious devotion and the overly rational ideas of Protestantism.
Gender issues
Following the first story of creation in the Book of Genesis, Baader said that humans were originally a single, combined being, neither fully male nor fully female. He called this an "androgynous being." He believed that only this combined being was the "image and likeness of God." Both male and female sexes, as we know them, are seen as having fallen from this original divine state.
Baader thought that this original combined state was humanity's connection to God. Because of this, he believed that the separation into sexes would eventually end. He also thought that Christ's sacrifice would make it possible to restore this original combined state. Baader believed that this original "androgyny" would return as the world neared its end.
Works
Several years after Franz von Baader's death, his writings were collected and edited by his followers. These works were published in 16 volumes in Leipzig between 1851 and 1860. They were organized by topic:
- Volume I: How we gain knowledge
- Volume II: The nature of reality
- Volume III: The philosophy of nature
- Volume IV: The study of humans
- Volumes V & VI: Social philosophy
- Volumes VII through X: The philosophy of religion
- Volume XI: Baader's personal journals
- Volume XII: His notes on St-Martin's writings
- Volume XIII: His notes on Böhme's writings
- Volume XIV: Time
- Volume XV: His life story and letters
- Volume XVI: An index to the other volumes, plus a good summary of his ideas by Lutterbeck.
Each volume also included helpful introductions written by the editors.
See also
In Spanish: Franz Xaver von Baader para niños
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