David Friedrich Strauß: A Reading of His Gospel Criticism and Metaphysics

Shortly after the 150th anniversary of David Friedrich Strauß‘ death and the 300th anniversary of Kant’s birth, this study makes a close reading of their work and distorted reception down to this day. Strauß’ Life of Jesus (1835) led to political revolution in Zurich in 1839 and exclusion from the classroom. Although Strauß’ rejection of Hegel’s ‘science’ of Absolute Idealism occurred by 1838, it did not bring with it a re-examination of the anti-Kantian sentiment among his mentors (Hegel, Schleiermacher, F.C. Baur, etc.). The result was eclipsing Kant’s option to reductionist materialism that embraces ‘faith’ and ‘feeling’ at the core of all order, rational and moral, as the motor of creative, responsible (communal) agency in the world.