Description
Book SynopsisTraces the impact of the French Revolution on Enlightenment thought in Germany as evidenced in the work of three major figures around the turn of the nineteenth century: Immanuel Kant, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Heinrich von Kleist. This book examines the philosophical and literary reception of the French Revolution.
Trade ReviewOffers original insights into these well-known works... A sound contribution to the critical literature. Choice 2007 This book is far too short for the large and complex topics Andreas Gailus engages with so boldly and skillfully. -- Arnd Bohm Seminar: Journal of Germanic Studies 2008 Gailus' book provides a needful reminder that the concept of history is theoretical and the meaning of theory historical. -- Anthony Adler German Studies Review 2008 The great virtue of this book is that its author is an attentive reader who reads important texts and writes well about what he reads. -- Clayton Koelb Monatshefte 2009
Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations
Preface
Introduction: Energetic Signs: Autonomy and Novelty in the Age of Revolution
1. Revealing Freedom: Crisis and Enthusiasm in Kant's Philosophy of History
2. The Poetics of Containment: Goethe's Conversations of German Refugees and the Crisis of Communication
3. Border Narratives: Kleist's Michael Kohlhaas
Conclusion: The Big Either
Notes
References
Index
