18.11.2012 Views

Antelman to eliminate the opiate vol1

Antelman to eliminate the opiate vol1

Antelman to eliminate the opiate vol1

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

and Mendelssohn made that address his residence from 1762<br />

until his death. 51<br />

It is interesting <strong>to</strong> note that Mendelssohn did not translate<br />

Pla<strong>to</strong> until after he met Nicolai. It is also interesting <strong>to</strong> note that<br />

Altmann calls attention <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> change that may have come<br />

about in <strong>the</strong> life of Karl Friedrich Bahrdt (1741-1792), who was<br />

active in <strong>the</strong> llluminati. The change that <strong>to</strong>ok place in Bahrdt's<br />

life is reflected in some passages in Altmann's book.<br />

Apparently before <strong>the</strong> llluminati was formed, Bahrdt was a<br />

conservative, believing Christian. He was most disturbed by<br />

Mendelssohn. In his The True Christian in Solitude, he<br />

accused <strong>the</strong> Berlin Academy, around 1761, of having gotten<br />

Mendelssohn <strong>to</strong> attack <strong>the</strong> Christian religion. 52 Nearly two<br />

years after <strong>the</strong> formation of <strong>the</strong> llluminati, <strong>the</strong> March 17, 1778<br />

issue of Freywillige Beitrage, published in Hamburg, carried an<br />

article by Johann M. Goeze, accusing Lessing's a<strong>the</strong>istic<br />

<strong>the</strong>ological writings <strong>to</strong> be those "of <strong>the</strong> no<strong>to</strong>rious Karl Friedrich<br />

Bahrdt, against whom <strong>the</strong> Imperial Court Council in Vienna<br />

had begun <strong>to</strong> take action." Lessing was a close colleague of<br />

Mendelssohn.<br />

G. H. G. von Giusti (1705-1771), one of <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>rs of<br />

political science in Germany, denounced <strong>the</strong> Literatur Briefe of<br />

Nicolai, Lessing and Mendelssohn, and because of <strong>the</strong>se<br />

charges, <strong>the</strong> Literatur Briefe were no<strong>to</strong>riously put on <strong>the</strong><br />

censor's index of March 17, 1762. However, <strong>the</strong> ban was lifted<br />

a few days later. 53<br />

As for <strong>the</strong> attempts, described by Robison, of <strong>the</strong> llluminati<br />

<strong>to</strong> subvert <strong>the</strong> Freemasons in Germany, Altmann fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

makes mention that when Lessing spent time in Berlin in <strong>the</strong><br />

early part of 1776, "he discussed his <strong>the</strong>ory of <strong>the</strong> origin of <strong>the</strong><br />

Freemasons with Nicolai, who was an eminent expert in this<br />

field, and Nicolai in turn frequently discussed it with<br />

Mendelssohn." Altmann states categorically that Mendelssohn<br />

had never made an effort <strong>to</strong> enter <strong>the</strong> Order. It may be<br />

possible that at this point Mendelssohn had no idea that<br />

74

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!