Overview

This book is a study of central aspects of Weimar Classicism, written in the light of Ernst Cassirer’s cultural theory. It provides a close reading of key texts, ranging across Goethe and Schiller’s œuvre as a whole, from their (philosophical) poems through their drama, prose-writing, and theoretical reflections on cultural and scientific topics. The work seeks to demonstrate the attested (but hitherto largely unanalysed) aesthetic power at the very heart of their writings, which in turn underpins their epistemological and ethical significance. The main theme of Weimar Classicism is the role of symbolism in Classicism, as distinct from the centrality of semiosis in competing cultural norms. The overall aim of the book is thus to see Weimar Classicism anew, both historically and analytically, as an enlightening context in which to reconsider many of the central tenets of contemporary (often called ‘postmodern’) cultural theory.

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9783039110858

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(T)his collection of essays deserves a warm welcome. It argues forcefully on every page for the continuing relevance of Weimar Classicism and dispels many cliches. Moreover, it presents a strong challenge to contemporary cultural theory as well as to deconstructionist and feminist criticism. (John Guthrie, Modern Language Review)

Author Information

The Author: Following his retirement in 2008 from the William Jacks Chair, Roger H. Stephenson is Professor Emeritus and Honorary Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow. He has published widely on German and Comparative Literature and Thought. His previous monographs include Goethe’s Wisdom Literature (1983), Goethe’s Conception of Knowledge and Science (1995), and (with Paul Bishop) Nietzsche and Weimar Classicism (2005).

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