Information for Novalis Eric Watkins Humanities 4 UCSD Novalis
Information for Novalis Eric Watkins Humanities 4 UCSD
Novalis (whose real name is Georg Friedrich von Hardenberg) is one of the most important members of group of young German Romantics in and around Jena (with other early German Romantic circles in Berlin and Tübingen). His thought was highly influential at the time on a wide range of issues, such as his anti-systematicity, his rejection of conventions, and his stress on symbolism. In this course, we are focusing on his political views, since he presents powerful attacks on several of the Enlightenment’s most basic ideals (e.g., rights, instrumental rationality, individualism) and replaces it with an organic conception of the state.
Historical and Intellectual Background: •After the death of Frederick the Great in 1786, Prussia was ruled for about ten years by Frederick Wilhelm II, who withdrew many of the freedoms that the Enlightenment forces had won, especially in religious matters. When Frederick Wilhelm III came to power in 1797, many of the younger generation hoped for a great renewal, esp. since they liked both Frederick Wilhelm III and his newly married wife. •German Romanticism in general is characterized by (i) its stress on the infinitude of reality, along with its anti-rationalism and anti-systematicity, (ii) the necessity of “special” ways of speaking that would not amount to simple or straightforward description, and (iii) “the importance of imaginative creativity, along with the rejection of conventional norms.
Novalis’s Main Position: •Novalis embraces many features that are characteristic of Romanticism in general. He is a Spinozist, who thinks that Nature is infinite and thus too big to be captured in any rational system. As a result, he thinks that one must describe those features of reality that cannot be captured with conventional descriptions in some other way, focusing in particular on the exotic and on the use of symbols. •In his political theory, Novalis criticizes the Enlightenment’s focus on rights and any kind of social contract that would be justified by rational consent of individuals. He thinks that such a view wrongly assumes the existence of individuals that exist apart from their social relations. He also thinks that we do not and should not base our decisions on instrumental rationality. •Instead, Novalis emphasizes the importance of love (as a feeling that is incompatible with alienation, e.g., from the state). Indeed, he thinks that the social relations that obtain throughout any society are based on certain paradigmatic models, such as the relationship between the king and the queen. Consistent with these basic views, Novalis articulates (in his own anti-systematic, fragmentary way) an organic conception of state.
Reading Questions: 1. “The world must be romanticized…. When I give the commonplace a higher meaning, the customary a mysterious appearance, the known the dignity of the unknown, the finite the illusion of the infinite, I romanticize it” (Fr. #105) – What general features of Romanticism does this definition illustrate?
2. “The court is the true model for a household. The higher households of the state are modeled after it, and the lower households after these higher ones, and so on” (#29) – What kind of social relations does this quotation recommend, and why?
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3. “The king and queen protect the monarchy more than 200,000 troops [do]” (#34). – Why does Novalis think that the relationship between a king and a queen is more important for national defense than is the military?
4. “What is a political union but a marriage?” What does this statement mean for Novalis’s political theory and why does he assert it?