Humanities 4Lecture 20:

Lessing’s Theological andHistorical Writings

• Intellectual Background:- Conceptions of History- Reason and Revelation- Reimarus• Lessing’s Education of Humankind

- 3 Stages of Development- L’s conception of History- L on Positive and Natural Religion• Lessing and the Enlightenment

Outline of Lecture

Intellectual Background:Conceptions of History

• Biblical chronology

- Stages of history are derived from Biblical events.• Creation = Genesis (ca. 5793 BC)• Flood (ca. 3537 BC)• Babel (ca. 3300 BC),• Exodus (ca. 1585 BC),• Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection (0-33 AD)• Second Coming of Christ and Judgment Day

(??? Or ca. 1000 AD) /Apocalypse (Revelations)• Structure of Time: beginning, middle, end

Intellectual Background:Reason and Revelation

• Consistent vs. inconsistent• If inconsistent

- Choice of one over other• Skepticism about reason (Fideism)• Skepticism about revelation (Reimarus &

Hume)• If consistent

- No overlap- Overlap (partial or complete)

• Reason proves what revelation reveals• Revelation intimates what reason can prove

Intellectual Background:Reimarus

• Reimarus’s (radical) religious views- Any rational being is Christian.- Only proper basis for Christianity is reason.- Mysteries have corrupted Christianity.- Attack on positive religion

• No miracles• Biblical Criticism• Distinction between Christ and Christian religion

1st Stage of Development:Childhood

• Religious Instruction: Old Test. is primer• Means of Instruction:

- Idolatry & images.- Only punishment & rewards are effective (16).• No knowledge of immortality of soul (26).• Later, reciprocity betw. reason & revel. (36).• Positive & negative features of primer.

- Exercises, allusions and hints; clothing and style added to abstract tr.; obstacles removed. (47-49)

• Every primer is only for a certain age (51).

2nd Stage of Development:Youth

• Religious Instruction via New Testament• Means of Instruction:

- Punishments & rewards have been outgrown.- Christ is reliable & practical teacher of the

immortality of the soul (59-60).• Duty and freedom are now ideals.• Relation between reason and revelation:

- What had been taught as revelation can now be proven via reason (70-72, 76).

- New revealed doctrines (e.g., trinity) can spur reason on (63, 73).

3rd Stage of Development:Maturity/Adulthood

• Only hints of this kind of instruction.• Purpose is clear: man is to do his duty, do the right

thing because it is right and not because of arbitrary rewards. (83)- Reduction of Christian religion to secular ethics.

[At what stage would we be now, 235 years later?]

Lessing’s Conception of History

• Lessing continues to adhere to a biblical chronology.- Beginning, middle and (still obscure) end

- Stages are defined by religious events or evidence.• Lessing adds a developmental account of reason for

the human race.- Lessing conceives of history as progressive.- Development of reason is more basic, since the

ultimate purpose of religious instruction is for man to do his duty on the basis of reason.

Lessing on Positive andNatural Religion

• Why do we need positive religion?

- In EoH, it points us to the right doctrines, making it easier for natural religion.

• But, inner truth of all natural religion is the same.• Best pos. religion contains fewest conventions.

Lessing and the Enlightenment

• Heavy emphasis on Reason- Esp. natural religion (vs. positive)- The development of reason in man is progressive.• Reason is universal.

- Natural religion is the same for all.• Stops short of extreme positions

- Attributes (minimal) role to positive religion.- Accepts rationality of religious belief and Christianity.