HUBER

huber, johann nepomuk (1830-1879), german philosophical and theological writer, a leader of the old catholics, was born at munich on the 18th of august 1830. originally destined for the priesthood, he early began the study of theology. by the writings of spinoza and oken, however, he was strongly drawn to philosophical pursuits, and it was in philosophy that he "habilitated" (1854) in the university of his native place, where he ultimately became professor (extraordinarius, 1859; ordinarius, 1864). with dollinger and others he attracted a large amount of public attention in 1869 by the challenge to the ultramontane promoters of the vatican council in the treatise _der papst und das koncil_, which appeared under the pseudonym of "janus," and also in 1870 by a series of letters (_romische briefe_, a redaction of secret reports sent from rome during the sitting of the council), which were published over the pseudonym quirinus in the _allgemeine zeitung_. he died suddenly of heart disease at munich on the 20th of march 1879. works.--the treatise _uber die willensfreiheit_ (1858), followed in 1859 by _die philosophie der kirchenvater_, which was promptly placed upon the _index_, and led to the prohibition of all catholic students from attending his lectures; _johannes scotus erigena_ (1861); _die idee der unsterblichkeit_ (1864); _studien_ (1867); _der proletarier; zur orientirung in der sozialen frage_ (1865); _der jesuitenorden nach seiner verfassung und doctrin, wirksamkeit und geschichte_ (1873), also placed upon the _index_; _der pessimismus_ (1876); _die forschung nach der materie_ (1877); _zur philosophie der astronomie_ (1878); _das gedachtnis_ (1878). he also published adverse criticisms of darwin, strauss, hartmann and hackel; pamphlets on _das papsttum und der staat_ (1870), and on _die freiheiten der franzosischen kirche_ (1871); and a volume of _kleine schriften_ (1871). see e. zirngiebl, _johannes huber_ (1881); and m. carriere in _allgemeine deutsche biographie_, xiii. (1881), and in _nord und sud_ (1879).