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ON RELIGION: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers By FRIEDRICH SCHLEIERMACHER Translated by John Oman from the Third German Edition in 1893 This text is in the Public Domain Digital Edition created 2006 -1- CONTENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Preface First Speech—Defence Second Speech—The Nature or Religion Third Speech—The Cultivation of Religion Fourth Speech—Association in Religion, or Church and Priesthood Fifth Speech—The Religions Epilogue 8. The First Edition -2- PREFACE In making this translation, I have been deeply impressed with the truth of Friedrich Schlegel's saying, that the modern literature, though in several languages, is only one. Though this work, so far as I know, is now translated for the first time, it does not now begin to enter into English thought. Traces of the movement at least, of which it is the most characteristic product, may be found in our philosophy, our theology, and our literature. Seeing, then, that this book claims more than a merely philosophical interest, it may well be thought that I should have done something more to give it an English accent. Intuition, used broadly for immediate knowledge, and the All, the "Whole, the World-Spirit for aspects of the world we feel and seem to know, can hardly be acknowledged as natural to our native tongue. But, though unfamiliar, I hope that, in their connections, they are not incomprehensible. My excuse for imposing upon the reader the necessity of a second translation in thought, must be found in Schleiermacher's own opinion. There are two ways, he considered, of making a good translation: either the author must be left alone as far as possible and the reader be made to approach, or the reader be left and the author be manipulated. In the former case, the work is translated as we believe the author would have done it, had he learned the language of the translation; in the latter, as he would have written, had it been his native tongue. In philosophical works, he thought the former method alone practicable. If the wisdom and science of the author are not to be transformed and subjected to the wildest caprice, the language of the translation must be bent to the language of the original. As we have not yet any example of a breach of this rule that encourages imitation, I have not been bold enough to make the attempt. Still I would fain believe that, except the first half of the Second Speech, the book is not beyond measure difficult. That section is acknowledged, even by the most patient Germans, to be obscure, and I would direct the reader's attention to the summary in the Appendix of its first form, which is very much simpler. Further, I might suggest that in the first reading the Explanations be omitted, and that it be borne in mind that they are not meant to elucidate the text, but rather -3- to expand or modify it into harmony with later positions. For a more careful study of the book, I have sought to make the Index helpful. My thanks are due to Professor Calderwood for encouragement in the work, and to my friend, Mr. G. W. Alexander, M.A., for revising the proofs and for many suggestions in the translation. Alnwick, 1893 John Oman -4- FIRST SPEECH DEFENCE It may be an unexpected and even a marvellous undertaking, that any one should still venture to demand from the very class that have raised themselves above the vulgar, and are saturated with the wisdom of the centuries, attention for a subject so entirely neglected by them. And I confess that I am aware of nothing that promises any easy success, whether it be in winning for my efforts your approval, or in the more difficult and more desirable task of instilling into you my thought and inspiring you for my subject. From of old faith has not been every man's affair. At all times but few have discerned religion itself, while millions, in vari