Tradition and revelation in F.J. Molitor’s philosophy of history

Franz Joseph Molitor, a German philosopher and Hebraist, attempted to create a holistic doctrine of the historical process by blending Schelling's philosophy with concepts from Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). He viewed human history as part of a universal sacred history centered on revelation as a continuous process. Molitor argued that scientific study of history is possible through a reliable tradition preserved most purely in Kabbalah. He rethought Christianity and Judaism's place in history, contending that Christian theology cannot achieve its goals without serious engagement with Jewish mystical tradition. The article includes a biography, a Russian translation of Molitor's book, and translations of letters.

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Abstract

The article analyzes the attempt to create a holistic doctrine of the historical process, un­dertaken by the German philosopher and Hebraist Franz Joseph Molitor (1779–1860). Molitor’s views, expressed in his major work, “The Philosophy of History, or On Tradi­tion” (1827–1857), were based both on the philosophical ideas of Schelling and the con­cepts of Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). An expert in Hebrew and Aramaic, Molitor de­voted most of his life to the study of Judaism and Kabbalah. He views human history as part of a universal sacred history, the core element of which is revelation as a continuous, ongoing process. The scientific study of history, according to Molitor, becomes possible thanks to the presence of a reliable tradition manifested in the cultural heritage of many peoples and preserved in its purest form in Kabbalah. Using ideas drawn from Jewish re­ligious, philosophical, and mystical writings, Molitor rethinks the place of Christianity and Judaism in human history and culture, believing that Christian theology cannot achieve its goals without a serious engagement with the tradition of Jewish mysticism. The appendices to the article contain a short biography of Molitor and fragments of a Russian translation of his book from the mid-19th century, preserved in the Manu­script Department of the Russian State Library, as well as a translation of several letters from Molitor, Schelling, and Baader related to work on the “Philosophy of History” and its religious and philosophical ideas.