Philosophical Writings

by Novalis, Margaret Mahony Stoljar (Editor/Translator)

Novalis: Philosophical Writings is the first extensive scholarly translation in English from the philosophical work of the late eighteenth-century German Romantic writer Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg). His original and innovative thought explores many questions that are current today, such as truth and objectivity, reason and the imagination, language and mind, and revolution and the state.

The translation includes two collections of fragments published by Novalis in 1798, Miscellaneous Observations and Faith and Love, and the controversial essay Christendom or Europe. In addition there are substantial selections from his unpublished notebooks, including Logological Fragments, the General Draft for an encyclopedia, the Monologue on language, and the essay on Goethe as scientist.

Genres: Philosophy, Poetry, Classics, Romanticism, German Literature, Nonfiction, Germany

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Novalis was the pseudonym of Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg, an author and philosopher of early German Romanticism.

His poetry and writings were an influence on Hermann Hesse. Novalis was also a huge influence on George MacDonald, and so indirectly on C.S. Lewis, the Inklings, and the whole modern fantasy genre.

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Animals are the tiny tots of Nature."
Novalis (1772-1801)

Forget your precious murky insights! Novalis had a knack of saying it ALL - if you have ears to hear! With only a few words.

For the Young at Heart…

Full review to follow.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writings of the exquisite Novalis, a writer far ahead of his time, and under-read and underappreciated today, deserve re-evaluation for anyone interested in modernist high art, film and literature. I adore Novalis' writings. This volume is an organization of his fragments, some of which were published by the journal associated with the Schiller brothers and Jena Romanticism. It's an excellent starting point for anyone intrigued by this rational yet mystical writer.

[Grand Logothete · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mind of a poet, especially in the case of such a deep thinker as Novalis, is a fascinating intellectual engine. His "Philosophical Writings" are a collection of texts, assembled posthumously, that range from small aphorisms to full, complete essays on a myriad of themes, though mostly focusing on aesthetics, ethics, the role of the poet and the philosopher and even occasionally delve into phenomenological aspects of existence.

His philosophical background is solid, clear and apparently owes much to Fichte, Schlegel and Goethe, to whom he attributes much of his inspiration and learning. This does not keep him from having original ideas and a distinctive perspective on various issues, even going as far as discussing the symbiotic nature of time and space, a 100 years before the experiments and theories of Lorentz, Poincaré and Minkowski, which would culminate with Einstein's famous and decisive contributions to the field of physics.

Unfortunately, not all of his writings are of similar interest, the most glaring examples being the ones dedicated to praising the monarchy and very specifically the King and Queen themselves, which bear a sort of sour taste of disappointing anti-revolutionary panegyric, perhaps the result of his upbringing in a craddle of noble status? Nevertheless, these are counterbalanced and certainly surpassed by his other, vastly more compelling examinations, even when these appear as raw notebook jottings of quick inspiration and left for later, more extensive development.

Not having the delight of having indulged in the eminent "Hymns of the Night" yet, there is now a palpable expectation and thirst for delving into Novalis poetry, as his penetrating and sagacious persona is thoroughly established by these wonderful notes and thoughts.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novalis has been on my reading radar for a long time. I've encountered him tangentially when studying Hölderlin and Nietzsche. This accessible volume is largely a collection of his fragments and aphorisms--abbreviations and suggestions--along with a couple of essays. I most enjoyed his reflections on the purpose and nature of language, art, philosophy, poetry, and the novel. In his writings Novalis is seeking harmony, agreement, transcendence, and love.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We are close to waking when we dream that we are dreaming."

"When one begins to reflect on philosophy—then philosophy seems to us to be everything, like God, and love. It is a mystical, highly potent, penetrating idea—which ceaselessly drives us inward in all directions. The decision to do philosophy—to seek philosophy is the act of self-liberation — the thrust toward ourselves."

[Margaret Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it.... THE TRUTH!

[Ryan Ricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Difficult to understand, and the subject matter didn’t really appeal to me.

[cadfael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised his house didn't burn down as he was writing this.