Joseph Franz Molitor

Franz Joseph Molitor, Joseph Franz Molitor (* July 7, 1779 in Oberursel (Taunus ), † March 23, 1860 in Frankfurt am Main ) was a German philosophical- historical and mystical- Kabbalistic writers and active Freemason.

Life

Molitor was born the son of a kurmainzischen officials, made ​​his preparatory studies in Bingen and Aschaffenburg, and then studied in 1797 at the University of Mainz and in 1799 at the University of Marburg first law, then looked at but with history and philosophy, ie mainly with Kant, Reinhold, Fichte, and Schelling. He was co-editor from 1802 the short-lived magazine for a future law to be drawn up according to the principle of transcendental realism. Under the influence of theosophical approaches Franz Xaver von Baader, he tried in his writings to reconcile the philosophical realism with idealism.

In 1806, Molitor joined the Management Board of the Jewish philanthropist educational institution in Frankfurt, but had soon thereafter only as a teacher at this institute and has taught both at the high school Fridericianum the teachers of geography and physics. 1812 Molitor professor of philosophy at the new Lyceum Carolinum in Frankfurt, which had set up Karl Theodor von Dalberg in the French style; by the end of 1814, he moved from there a permanent board, through which - in addition to income from private lessons and his work at the philanthropist - his livelihood could be disputed.

His grave is located in the Frankfurt 's main cemetery ( Won F 250 )

Freemasonry and Kabbalah

By philanthropist known with Judaism and this own symbolic language, Molitor joined on May 19, 1808 in Frankfurt Masonic Lodge to the rising dawn, the Jews were able to be a member; at times he was the master of the chair. Later he founded under the patronage of the Landgrave Carl of Hesse Frankfurt lodge Carl to the rising light.

From about 1813 a preoccupation with Molitor of Jewish mysticism, as it appears in the Kabbalah begins; they determined his further activity. Significant influence on him should have exercised the then living in Offenbach am Main Jewish mystics and high degree Freemason Ephraim Joseph Hirschfeld. Molitor learned Hebrew and Aramaic, studied the Talmud and dealt intensively with the Zohar. His endeavor is to set Kabbalah and Christianity in reciprocal linking and to combine both on a new higher level, an approach that is the Hirschfeld was not dissimilar.

As a fruit of long years of study he published in 1824 the first volume of his philosophy of history or tradition, which he did obtain the support of significant scholarships for further work in this direction, including by Christian of Hesse- Darmstadt and ( mediated by Schelling ) by Ludwig I. of Bavaria. His apartment was gradually added to a collection point mystical interested men and women from Frankfurt and the surrounding area. He could not complete his five-volume work scale.

Main approach of his argument was the fight against pantheism, atheism and materialism, starting from the assumption that the Kabbalah contained a higher mysticism, which could also be the Christianity own, if it were the latter, in particular in his " awakened " Nature, but only to a mystical transfigured Judaism. Insofar its titling is probably justified as a "Christian Kabbalist ".

Works (selection)

• About to reconcile the turning point of antiques and modern, an attempt realism with idealism. Frankfurt am Main, 1805.
• Ideas for a future dynamics of the story. Frankfurt 1805
• Philosophy of history or tradition. Volumes 1-4. Frankfurt am Main 1824-1853.