F. Max Müller
(1823-1900)
Friedrich Max Müller--German scholar of the religions of India and early historian of language and myth--is considered along with Egyptologist C.P. Tiele as one of the founders of the science of religion. Although he first considered a career as a poet and musician, Müller eventually settled on life as a gifted scholar of languages mastering Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. After earning a PhD in philosophy, Müller moved to Berlin where he continued his study in Sanskrit and comparative philology (the discipline that preceded the modern field of linguistics). Müller was interested in what he saw as resemblances between the "Aryan" (Indo-European) family of languages and his major goal was to attempt to trace this language family back to its common roots. He is famous for his translations of Sanskrit texts that were previously unavailable to an English-speaking audience and he was also a well-known opponent of Darwin's theory of evolution although this theory influenced his model for the development of mythology and religion. His comparative work on language and mythology would cause him to argue for the comparative study of myth which would consequently allow the creation of a new academic discipline--the scientific study of religion.
Major Works
Rig-Veda Samhita (translation in 6 volumes)
Essays in Comparative Mythology, 1856
Introduction to the Science of Religion, 1873
The Sacred Books of the East (12 volumes), 1875
Contributions to the Science of Mythology, 1897
Quotation
"There is nothing more ancient in the world than language. The history
of man begins, not with rude flints, rock temples or pyramids, but with
language. The second stage is represented by myths as the first attempts
at translating the phenomena of nature into thought. The third stage is
that of religion or the recognition of moral powers, and in the end of
One Moral Power behind and above all nature. The fourth and last is philosophy,
or a critique of the powers of reason in their legitimate working on the
data of experience."
-from F. Max Müller, Contributions to the Science of Mythology,
1897
Secondary Literature on Müller and Religion
Eric J. Sharpe, Comparative Religion: A History, pp.35-46.
Open Court, 1986.
Brian Morris, Anthropological Studies of Religion: An Introduction.
pp. 92-94. Cambridge University Press, 1987.
Walter H. Capps, Religious Studies: The Making of a Discipline.
pp. 68-71. Augsberg Fortress Press, 1995.
Jon R. Stone, "Müller, F. Max," The Encyclopedia of
Religion, 2nd edition. vol. 9, pp. 6234-6237. Macmillan Reference
USA, 2005.