Originally published in 1970, this book surveys the central philosophical and aesthetic doctrines which characterize German Romanticism. A selection of literary, philosophical and political essays by some of the most important German Romantic thinkers illustrates the principal themes: these range from philosophical idealism and aesthetic subjectivism to folklore and emergent German nationalism, from exotica and medievalism to irrationality and the metaphysics of music. Introductory essays explain the significance of the particular aspects of the Romantic tradition which are revealed in each passage, and commentaries not only elucidate allusions and references which are not immediately identifiable, but draw attention to wider issues, either in the work of that author or in the context of 19th Century German culture as a whole.

Often portrayed as a movement of poets lost in swells of passion, early German Romanticism has been generally overlooked by scholars in favor of the great system-builders of the post-Kantian period, Schelling and Hegel. In the twelve lectures collected here, Manfred Frank redresses this oversight, offering an in-depth exploration of the philosophical contributions and contemporary relevance of early German Romanticism. Arguing that the early German Romantics initiated an original movement away from idealism, Frank brings the leading figures of the movement, Friedrich Schlegel and Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), into concert with contemporary philosophical developments, and explores the role that Friedrich Hölderlin and other members of the Homburg Circle had upon the development of early German Romantic philosophy.

This study restores and enhances the philosophical aspect of early German Romanticism, offering an understanding of the movement's origins, development, aims and accomplishments.

This Handbook provides a comprehensive and authoritative analysis of the philosophical dimensions of German Romanticism, a movement that challenged traditional borders between philosophy, poetry, and science. With contributions from leading international scholars, the collection places the movement in its historical context by both exploring its links to German Idealism and by examining contemporary, related developments in aesthetics and scientific research. A substantial concluding section of the Handbook examines the enduring legacy of German romantic philosophy. Key Features: • Highlights the contributions of German romantic philosophy to literary criticism, irony, cinema, religion, and biology. • Emphasises the important role that women played in the movement’s formation. • Reveals the ways in which German romantic philosophy impacted developments in modernism, existentialism and critical theory in the twentieth century. • Interdisciplinary in approach with contributions from philosophers, Germanists, historians and literary scholars. Providing both broad perspectives and new insights, this Handbook is essential reading for scholars undertaking new research on German romantic philosophy as well as for advanced students requiring a thorough understanding of the subject.

The absolute was one of the most significant philosophical concepts in the early nineteenth century, particularly for the German romantics. Its exact meaning and its role within philosophical romanticism remain, however, a highly contested topic among contemporary scholars. In The Romantic Absolute, Dalia Nassar offers an illuminating new assessment of the romantics and their understanding of the absolute. In doing so, she fills an important gap in the history of philosophy, especially with respect to the crucial period between Kant and Hegel. Scholars today interpret philosophical romanticism along two competing lines: one emphasizes the romantics’ concern with epistemology, the other their concern with metaphysics. Through careful textual analysis and systematic reconstruction of the work of three major romantics—Novalis, Friedrich Schlegel, and Friedrich Schelling—Nassar shows that neither interpretation is fully satisfying. Rather, she argues, one needs to approach the absolute from both perspectives. Rescuing these philosophers from frequent misunderstanding, and even dismissal, she articulates not only a new angle on the philosophical foundations of romanticism but on the meaning and significance of the notion of the absolute itself.

Originally published in 1970, this book surveys the central philosophical and aesthetic doctrines which characterize German Romanticism. A selection of literary, philosophical and political essays by some of the most important German Romantic thinkers illustrates the principal themes: these range from philosophical idealism and aesthetic subjectivism to folklore and emergent German nationalism, from exotica and medievalism to irrationality and the metaphysics of music. Introductory essays explain the significance of the particular aspects of the Romantic tradition which are revealed in each passage, and commentaries not only elucidate allusions and references which are not immediately identifiable, but draw attention to wider issues, either in the work of that author or in the context of 19th Century German culture as a whole.