German Literary History - (Volume 2)

Author: Fan Dachen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Approximately from the 1820s to the 1840s, which is the rationalist phase of the Enlightenment. Around the mid-18th century, German Enlightenment began to deviate from rationalism, and empiricism and sensationalism also became important intellectual treasures of the Enlightenment. From then on, German Enlightenment was dominated by rationalism while also influenced by empiricism and sensationalism, making the entire movement full of contradictions. As the author points out in the chapter of this book, "German Enlightenment is full of contradictions, at least including: logical cognition or personal experience, reason or intuition, common interest or personal satisfaction, reason or emotion, moral laws or natural impulses. All these contradictions run through the entire Enlightenment and also drive the continuous forward progress of the 18th-century Enlightenment. The entire German Enlightenment oscillates between the poles of these contradictions, with the overall trend being an attempt to resolve them. Because different answers were found to resolve these contradictions, different schools emerged. Some leaned toward one side, others toward the other, and some even tried to establish a balance between the two, but with different emphases. It is precisely for this reason that German Enlightenment became a literary movement with a variety of schools. In the history of German literature, it is difficult to find an era concept like it, which includes so many different, even opposing, schools. However, in the history of German literature, it can still be boldly regarded as a general term that nearly encompasses the literature of an entire century." Approximately from the 1820s to the 1840s, which is the rationalist phase of the Enlightenment. Around the mid-18th century, German Enlightenment began to deviate from rationalism, and empiricism and sensationalism also became important intellectual treasures of the Enlightenment. From then on, German Enlightenment was dominated by rationalism while also influenced by empiricism and sensationalism, making the entire movement full of contradictions. As the author points out in the chapter of this book, "German Enlightenment is full of contradictions, at least including: logical cognition or personal experience, reason or intuition, common interest or personal satisfaction, reason or emotion, moral laws or natural impulses. All these contradictions run through the entire Enlightenment and also drive the continuous forward progress of the 18th-century Enlightenment. The entire German Enlightenment oscillates between the poles of these contradictions, with the overall trend being an attempt to resolve them. Because different answers were found to resolve these contradictions, different schools emerged. Some leaned toward one side, others toward the other, and some even tried to establish a balance between the two, but with different emphases. It is precisely for this reason that German Enlightenment became a literary movement with a variety of schools. In the history of German literature, it is difficult to find an era concept like it, which includes so many different, even opposing, schools. However, in the history of German literature, it can still be boldly regarded as a general term that nearly encompasses the literature of an entire century."