Joseph Mazzini Wheeler (24 January 1850 - 5 May 1898) was an English atheist and freethought writer. JM Wheeler Freethinker

Biography

Wheeler was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He briefly worked as a

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

in Edinburgh. Flynn, Tom. (2007). ''The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief''. Prometheus Books. p. 815. He became an atheist after reading the works of

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

, John Stuart Mill and

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression " survival of the fi ...

. In 1868, he met

George William Foote George William Foote (11 January 1850 – 17 October 1915) was an English secularist, freethinker, republican, writer and journal editor. Early life George William Foote was born in Plymouth, the son of William Thomas Foot (a customs officer) ...

and they became lifelong friends. Wheeler worked as an editor for Foote's ''

Freethinker Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other metho ...

'' journal. He was strongly

anti-Christian Anti-Christian sentiment or Christophobia constitutes opposition or objections to Christians, the Christian religion, and/or its practices. Anti-Christian sentiment is sometimes referred to as Christophobia or Christianophobia, although these terms ...

. His most well known work was ''A Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers of All Ages'' (1889). He was vice-President of the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. It was ...

. Wheeler suffered from a mental breakdown and died in an asylum in 1898. Stein, Gordon. (1880). ''An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism''. Prometheus Books. p. 334

Publications

''Frauds and Follies of the Fathers''
(1882) *''Hume's Essay on Miracles. A new edition, with an introduction commenting upon the views of Campbell, Paley, Mill, Greg, Mozley, Tyndall, Huxley, etc. By Joseph Mazzini Wheeler.'' 1882. London (Freethought Publ.). 3d.

(1885) ranslatorbr>''Crimes of Christianity''
(1887) ith G. W. Foote*''The Crimes of the Popes'' (1887) ith G. W. Footebr>''A Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers of All Ages''
(1889) *''The Christian Doctrine of Hell'' (1890)
''Bible Studies: Essays on Phallic Worship and Other Curious Rites and Customs''
(1892)
''Voltaire: A Sketch of His Life and Works''
(1894) ith G. W. Footebr>''Footsteps of the Past''
(1895) ith an introduction by G. W. Foote*''History of Freethought in England'' (uncompleted)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Joseph Mazzini 1850 births 1898 deaths Critics of Christianity English atheists English lithographers Freethought writers

Biography

Publications

See also

References

Further reading

External links