Max Müller
British philologist, Orientalist (1823–1900) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Friedrich Max Müller (German: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈmaks ˈmʏlɐ];[1][2] 6 December 1823 – 28 October 1900) was a comparative philologist and Orientalist of German origin. He was one of the founders of the Western academic disciplines of Indology and religious studies. Müller wrote both scholarly and popular works on the subject of Indology. He directed the preparation of the Sacred Books of the East, a 50-volume set of English translations.
Max Müller | |
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Born | Friedrich Max Müller (1823-12-06)6 December 1823 Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, German Confederation |
Died | 28 October 1900(1900-10-28) (aged 76) Oxford, England |
Occupation | Writer, Comparative Philologist |
Education | University of Leipzig |
Notable works | The Sacred Books of the East, Chips from a German Workshop |
Notable awards | Associé étranger of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres; Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art; member of the Privy Council |
Spouse | Georgina Adelaide Grenfell |
Children | 4, including Wilhelm Grenfell Max Müller |
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Müller became a professor at Oxford University,[3] first of modern languages,[4] then of comparative philology[3] in a position founded for him, and which he held for the rest of his life. Early in his career he held strong views on India, believing that it needed to be transformed by Christianity. Later, his view became more nuanced, championing ancient Sanskrit literature and India more generally. He became involved in several controversies during his career: he was accused of being anti-Christian; he disagreed with Darwinian evolution, favouring theistic evolution; he raised interest in Aryan culture, deeply disliking the resulting racism; and he promoted the idea of a "Turanian" family of languages.
Among his honours and distinctions, he was made an associé étranger of the French Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres; he was awarded the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art; and he was made a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.