FEUERBACH, Ludwig Andreas (1804-1872):
German MATERIALIST philosopher famous for his
statement "A man is what he eats" which he used to explain English victories
over Irish rebels. He studied under HEGEL whose idealism he rejected in favor of a
thorough-going materialism. Subsequently he strongly attacked religious BELIEFS,
especially those of PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY as represented by SCHLEIERMACHER, by arguing
that the idea of GOD is an outward projection of man's inner nature. Thus the HOLY Family
reflects the inadequacies of actual human families and subconsciously compensates for them
in the imagination of the believer. His work had a profound influence on MARX who accepted
and improved upon his basic criticisms of religion. His most important works are:The
Essence of Christianity (1840) and The Essence of Religion (1846).
