Fritz Mauthner, the Conformist Heretic

This essay’s focus is on the German-Jewish philosopher, language critic, and writer Fritz Mauthner (1849–1923). It addresses a rarely considered late work by Mauthner, namely his four volumes on the history of atheism (1920–1923). I argue that this atheism forms a core element of Mauthner’s self-narrative and complements his autobiography Erinnerungen (1918). The self Mauther forged was shaped by the experiences of a Jew from a Frankist and non-religious Jewish family in the era of emancipation and acculturation, by turning points such as the First World War, and by a widespread fascination with Buddhism Mauthner shared.