MÜLLER, Friedrich Maximilian (Max Müller). - Philologist and mythologist, b. at Dessau on 6 Dec. 1823, professor at Oxford, where he d. on 28 Oct. 1900. His many-sided activity was carried on especially in three fields: comparative mythology; Indo-European philology and linguistics in general; and the history and philosophy of religion.
As a mythologist he is the founder of comparative mythology, in that to the principle of considering myth as a spontaneous product of the popular imagination (already set forth by the Brothers Grimm in the study of German mythology) he added the contribution supplied by comparison with Indian mythology, studied especially in the Vedas (v.), which he translated and commented upon. For M., the figures of myth arise from a spontaneous process of personification proper to the mind, which individuates, by means of adjectives that are nomina agentis, the objects that fall under its observation. Thus from the vision of the celestial bodies, which are par excellence the shining ones (deva, from div = to shine), derives the name of God in all Indo-European mythologies. It is therefore language, M. concludes, that determines the physiognomy of myth, and in this sense it may be said that myth is a "disease of language." An inexact concept, because language is the natural expression of the fantastic apperception that personifies things and obeys it.
As a philologist and linguist his output was exceedingly fertile: The Science of language (2 vols., London 1861-63; 14th ed. 1885; new ed. 1890; Italian trans., Milan 1871); Biographies of words and the Home of the Aryas (London 1888; new ed. 1898) and the various essays collected under the title Chips from a German workshop (4 vols., ibid. 1867-75; new ed. 1880); Last essays (ibid. 1901) and above all the translation of the sacred books of the East: Sacred Books of the East, directed by him and entrusted to various scholars, completed in 50 vols., of which 33 are devoted to India (21 to Brahmanism and 12 to Jainism and Buddhism); 8 to Persia; 2 to Islam; 6 to China, plus 1 of indexes.
As a historian and philosopher of religion he shows that religion develops out of the mythical world when man, after having personified the forces of nature, feels that beyond what he sees and what presents itself as limited there is a whole world that is invisible and unlimited, infinite. This innate sense develops, and thus, through the henotheistic form (by which the epithets belonging to the supreme Being are attributed to a given deity), one arrives at the monotheistic form, of the one God conceived as the Father who is in heaven.
The writings in which he develops this section of his scholarly activity are: Introduction to the science of religion (London 1873; new ed. 1882; Italian trans., Florence 1874); The Origin and Growth of Religion (London 1878; new eds., 1882 and 1891); Natural Religion (ibid. 1889; 2nd ed. 1892); Physical Religion (ibid. 1891; 2nd ed. 1898); Anthropological Religion (ibid. 1892; 2nd ed. 1898); Theosophy, or psychological Religion (ibid. 1893; 2nd ed. 1895, and reprint); Contribution to the science of mythology (2 vols., ibid. 1897); The Science of Thought (ibid. 1887); Three lectures on the Vedanta philosophy (ibid. 1894); The six Systems of Indian philosophy (ibid. 1899). A complete collection of his works has been made (Collected Works, 20 vols., London 1898 ff.).
Bibliography4 works
Nicola Turchi