Reimarus Hermann Samuel (1694–1768), German philosopher, born in Hamburg and educated in philosophy and theology at Jena. For most of his life he taught Oriental languages at a high school in Hamburg. The most important writings he published were a treatise on natural religion, Abhandlungen von den vornehmsten Wahrheiten der natürlichen Religion (1754); a textbook on logic, Vernunftlehre (1756); and an interesting work on instincts in animals, Allgemeine Betrachtungen über die Triebe der Tiere (1760). However, he is today best known for his Apologie oder Schutzschrift für die vernünftigen Verehrer Gottes (‘Apology for or Defense of the Rational Worshipers of God’), posthumously published in 1774–77. In it, Reimarus reversed his stance on natural theology and openly advocated a deism in the British tradition. The controversy created by its publication had a profound impact on the further development of German theology. Though Reimarus always remained basically a follower of Wolff, he was often quite critical of Wolffian rationalism in his discussion of logic and psychology. See also WOLFF. M.K.