Adriaan Koerbagh
Encyclopedia
Adriaan Koerbagh was a Dutch
scholar and writer best known as a critic of religion and conventional morality.
. He was one of the most radical figures of the Age of Enlightenment
, rejecting and reviling the church and state as unreliable institutions, exposing theologians' and lawyers' language as vague and opaque tools to blind the people in order to maintain their own power. Koerbagh put the authority of reason above that of dogmas and can thus be seen as a true freethinker
, though twentieth century notions of him as an anarchist or libertarian
cannot be applied with certainty.
Koerbagh described the Bible and dogmas like the Trinity
and the divine nature of Christ as only the work of men. Also, like earlier pantheists such as Baruch de Spinoza, he argued that God is identical with nature and that nothing exists outside of nature. Therefore, he argued, natural science
, not theology
, was the real theology of the world. In his views about the secularization
of the Republic of the Netherlands and the limitation of ecclesiastical powers, he went further than his friend Spinoza, stating that religion is irrational and only maintains its position through deception and violence.
He wrote in 1664 "'t Nieuw Woorden-Boeck der Regten" (The New Dictionary of Rights), and in 1668 "Een Bloemhof van allerley lieflijkheyd"(a flower garden of all sorts of delights), under the pseudonym Vreederijk Waarmond. This book explained various foreign words, and caused great religious opposition that forced him to flee to Culemborg
, a legally autonomously town in another province that would not extradite him, and then to Leiden.
Adriaan Koerbagh fiercely opposed the Dutch Reformed Church
in his third work, "Een Ligt schynende in duystere plaatsen, om te verligten de voornaamste saaken der Godsgeleerdtheyd en Godsdienst" (A light shining in dark places, to shed light on matters of theology and religion). He went to Leiden, where he was betrayed by his printer, who knew the contents of his work, and arrested by the authorities. His brother Johannes was also arrested.
His persuasions finally cost him his life. Found guilty of blasphemy
, in 1668 he was sentenced to 10 years in the Rasphuis jail at Amsterdam, where he had to do forced labour, to be followed by exile and a 4000 guilder
fine. He died a few months later, in 1669, in the Rasphuis
due to the pressures of prison life. His publications were largely destroyed by the authorities of the Republic. His brother Johannes was released because of lack of evidence against him, but he never published again. He died three year later, in 1672.
Koerbaghs story shows that the tolerance of the Dutch Republic, however great compared with almost every other country in the world at the time, was certainly not unlimited.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
scholar and writer best known as a critic of religion and conventional morality.
Life
Adriaan Koerbagh studied at the universities of Utrecht and Leiden, becoming a doctor in medicine and master in jurisprudenceJurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
. He was one of the most radical figures of the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, rejecting and reviling the church and state as unreliable institutions, exposing theologians' and lawyers' language as vague and opaque tools to blind the people in order to maintain their own power. Koerbagh put the authority of reason above that of dogmas and can thus be seen as a true freethinker
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
, though twentieth century notions of him as an anarchist or libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
cannot be applied with certainty.
Koerbagh described the Bible and dogmas like the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
and the divine nature of Christ as only the work of men. Also, like earlier pantheists such as Baruch de Spinoza, he argued that God is identical with nature and that nothing exists outside of nature. Therefore, he argued, natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
, not theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, was the real theology of the world. In his views about the secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
of the Republic of the Netherlands and the limitation of ecclesiastical powers, he went further than his friend Spinoza, stating that religion is irrational and only maintains its position through deception and violence.
He wrote in 1664 "'t Nieuw Woorden-Boeck der Regten" (The New Dictionary of Rights), and in 1668 "Een Bloemhof van allerley lieflijkheyd"(a flower garden of all sorts of delights), under the pseudonym Vreederijk Waarmond. This book explained various foreign words, and caused great religious opposition that forced him to flee to Culemborg
Culemborg
Culemborg is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city is situated just south of the Lek River...
, a legally autonomously town in another province that would not extradite him, and then to Leiden.
Adriaan Koerbagh fiercely opposed the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
in his third work, "Een Ligt schynende in duystere plaatsen, om te verligten de voornaamste saaken der Godsgeleerdtheyd en Godsdienst" (A light shining in dark places, to shed light on matters of theology and religion). He went to Leiden, where he was betrayed by his printer, who knew the contents of his work, and arrested by the authorities. His brother Johannes was also arrested.
His persuasions finally cost him his life. Found guilty of blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
, in 1668 he was sentenced to 10 years in the Rasphuis jail at Amsterdam, where he had to do forced labour, to be followed by exile and a 4000 guilder
Guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries...
fine. He died a few months later, in 1669, in the Rasphuis
Rasphuis
The Rasphuis was a "tuchthuis" or prison in Amsterdam that was established in 1596 in the former Convent of the Poor Clares on the Heiligeweg. In 1815 it was closed, and in 1892 the building was demolished to make way for a swimming pool. On the site today is the Kalvertoren shopping centre.The...
due to the pressures of prison life. His publications were largely destroyed by the authorities of the Republic. His brother Johannes was released because of lack of evidence against him, but he never published again. He died three year later, in 1672.
Koerbaghs story shows that the tolerance of the Dutch Republic, however great compared with almost every other country in the world at the time, was certainly not unlimited.
Works
- 't Nieuw-woordenboek der Regten (1664)
- Een Bloemhof van allerley lieflijkheyd sonder verdriet (1668)
- Een ligt Schijnende in Duystere Plaatsen, om te verligten de voornaamste saaken der Godsgeleerdtheyd en Godsdienst (1668, reissued 1974)
Sources
- NRC Handelsblad (Dutch newspaper), 18 June 2007.
- Israel, Jonathan I., Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and the Making of Modernity 1650–1750; Oxford University Press, USA; 2002
External links
- Adriaan Koerbagh, precursor of the Enlightenment?
- Biography in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek van NederlandRoyal LibraryRoyal Library can mean:*Royal Library, Windsor - the royal library of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom*Danish Royal Library - the national library of Denmark*Dutch Royal Library - the national library of The Netherlands...
- Photograph of page from "Een Bloemhof" from the library of Frederick III of DenmarkFrederick III of DenmarkFrederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...