The Early Political Writings of the German Romantics

New translations of essential political writings by leading figures in the early German romantic circle.

Frederick C. Beiser (Edited by)

9780521445016, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 14 March 1996

252 pages
22.4 x 14.1 x 1.9 cm, 0.394 kg

"Beiser has provided a great service in making available the political writings of the early German romantics. As suggested above, their ideas still have relevance and the problems which they address have not yet been overcome. The anthology will be welcomed by all who are interested in contemporary debates in political philosophy and the history of ideas." J.M. Fritzman, Philosophy in Review

The Early Political Writings of the German Romantics contains all the essential political writings of Friedrich Schlegel, Schleiermacher and Novalis during the formative period of romantic thought (1797 to 1803). While the political thought of the German romantics has been generally recognised as important, it has been little studied, and most of the texts have been until now unavailable in English. The early romantics had an ambition still relevant to contemporary political thought: how to find a middle path between conservatism and liberalism, between an ethic of community and the freedom of the individual. Frederick C. Beiser's edition comprises all kinds of texts relevant for understanding the political ideas of the early romantic circles in Berlin and Jena - essays, lectures, aphorisms, chapters from books, and jottings from notebooks. All have been translated anew, many for the first time.

1. Anon., The Oldest Systematic Programme of German Idealism
2. Novalis, Pollen
3. Novalis, Faith and Love
4. Novalis, Political Aphorisms
5. Novalis, Christianity or Europe
6. Friedrich Schlegel, Essay on the Concept of Republicanism
7. Schlegel, Athenaeum Fragments (excerpts)
8. Schlegel, Ideas
9. Schlegel, Lectures on Transcendental Philosophy
10. Schlegel, Fragments from the Philosophical Apprenticeship
11. Schleiermacher, Monologues II & III.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]