Matthias Knutzen

Matthias Knutzen (also: Knuzen, Knutsen, * beginning in 1646 Oldenswort (North Friesland / Schleswig ); † after 1674 ) was a German critic of religion. He is the first known atheist in European intellectual history of modern times.

Life

Knutzen was the son of Berend Knutzen, organist in Oldenswort in eiderstedt, and his wife Elisabeth ( Elsebe ). Knutzen's father died in the year of his birth. Knutzen then went to his brother Johann Knutzen, who was organist at Königsberg in East Prussia, where he attended from 1661 to 1664, the old-urban high school. In 1664 he enrolled Königsberg and 1668 in Copenhagen to study theology. In between, he earned at different places some money as a private tutor. In 1673 he obtained a position as a village school teacher and assistant preacher in the Krempermarsch in his Schleswig-Holstein home. But he was already the end of December 1673 dismissed again because he had criticized the church authorities in his sermons. From there he went to another brother in Tonning. That he should have been in Rome in February 1674 as the date of his pamphlet Amicus Amicis Amica! suggests, is probably a literary fiction. In September 1674 he came to Jena. There Knutzen distributed handwritten leaflets ( " tomes " ) and other writings with atheistic content. There was an investigation by the city and the University of Jena. To avoid being arrested, Knutzen important first to Coburg, then to Altdorf near Nuremberg and was on October 22, 1674 saw the last time in Jena. After that trace of him. Johann Moller wrote in his Dictionary of Cimbria literata ( printed 1744) that Knutzen should have died in an Italian monastery, but this message is questionable, and was probably invented to discredit both Knutzen and the Catholic Church.

Teaching

In his three pamphlets from the year 1674 Knutzen claimed that there was a sect or community of " conscience Sener " or " Conscientarier " (from Latin conscientia "conscience" ). This should already have in different locations (Hamburg, Jena, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, etc.) about members, supposedly alone in Jena 700 These figures are, however, to doubt, and the spread of Knutzen doctrine of 'conscientious Sener " was his own.

After Knutzen there is no transcendent values such as God, immortal souls or an afterlife with reward or punishment for earthly life. The Bible is not credible because of their contradictions. Measure of people's actions should the science that natural reason and conscience be. Therefore, the temporal and spiritual authorities is unnecessary. Wealth should be distributed equitably among the people. The main rule is: "Honestly live, no harm and give to each his own " (Latin: " Honeste vivere, neminem laedere suum cuique tribuere ", a Roman legal principle according to Ulpian ).

In his letter written in Latin amicus Amicis Amica! Knutzen took his atheist credo this way:

" Insuper Deum negamus, Magistratum ex alto despicimus, Templa quoque cum omnibus Sacerdotibus rejicientes. "

" We deny God, we despise the authority of the [ heavenly ] height and we have the churches back with all the pastors. "

Sources and Reception

Knutzen was obviously inspired by Socinianism; other influences ( Spinoza? ) are difficult to identify and controversial. Undetectable is that Knutzen was versed up in inconspicuous details into the philosophical literature.

Knutzen's views initially excited the fierce defense of ecclesiastical writers. In 1677, two papers against him appeared. In one of them stirred to excitement, for example, the Lutheran theologian Tobias Pfanner (1641-1716) that Knutzen work the injustices of all hitherto known religious enemies excel.

Pierre Bayle took his Dictionnaire historique et Knutzen in to critique (1697, other issues in the 18th century). For the philosophers of the Enlightenment Knutzen was thus the first tangible as a person atheist.

Works

Epistola ad amici amicum [ Latin: letter from a friend to a friend ], also titled Amicus Amicis Amica! Rome 1674th
Conversation between a host and three guests unequal religion. 1674th
Conversation between a field preacher named Dr. Heinrich bluebottles and a Latin pattern writer. 1674th

Werkausgaben

M. Knutzen, a German atheist and revolutionary democrat of the 17th century. Pamphlets and contemporary socio-critical writings. Edited and introduced by Werner Pfoh. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1965.
Matthias Knutzen: writings, documents. Edited by Winfried Schröder. From man - Holzboog, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 2010, ISBN 978-3-7728-1656-7 Review of Till Kinzel, information resources for libraries (PDF, 26 kB)

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