The Rise of the World Soul Theory in Modern German Philosophy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
M. Vassányi Anima Mundi: The Rise of the World Soul Theory in Modern German Philosophy Series: International Archives of the History of Ideas Archives internationales d'histoire des idées, Vol. 202 ▶ -Important monograph on the (early) modern theory of the Soul of the World ▶ -Examines the World Soul problematique in a broad metaphysical context ▶ -Includes interdisciplinary discussion between metaphysics, theology and natural philosophy ▶ -Covers non-mainstream intellectual traditions such as Cabbala and Hermetism ▶ -Includes unpublished early modern manuscript material First affirmed by Plato, the concept of the world as a cosmic living being, possessed of 2011, XV, 434 p. a soul, gained great importance in the Stoic and Neo-Platonic philosophical schools. Several medieval philosophers displayed an interest in this theory of the world soul, which retained its attractive power even into the Renaissance. However, the leading early Printed book modern rationalists, especially Leibniz, found the world soul philosophically unacceptable. Hardcover Why and how then did the German Romantics of the late 1700s and early 1800s – first ▶ 169,99 € | £149.99 | $219.99 and foremost Franz von Baader and Schelling – come resolutely to posit the existence of ▶ *181,89 € (D) | 186,99 € (A) | CHF 200.50 the world soul? In Anima Mundi: The Rise of the World Soul Theory in Modern German Philosophy , Miklós Vassányi shows that the metaphysical aspirations of the early German Romantics could not be satisfied by the Leibnizian concept of a God beyond the world. eBook Powerful as Leibniz’s argument is when primarily the existence of God is considered, it Available from your bookstore or fails to convincingly account for the presence of God within the world, and for the unity ▶ springer.com/shop of the world. The fundamental existential experience of the Romantics was that God is immediately present in Nature, that God and Nature constitute an indissoluble Absolute. The best philosophical instrument to articulate their theory of the interpenetration of the MyCopy Finite and the Infinite was a theory of the soul of the world. Printed eBook for just ▶ € | $ 24.99 ▶ springer.com/mycopy Order online at springer.com ▶ or for the Americas call (toll free) 1-800-SPRINGER ▶ or email us at: [email protected]. ▶ For outside the Americas call +49 (0) 6221-345-4301 ▶ or email us at: [email protected]. The first € price and the £ and $ price are net prices, subject to local VAT. Prices indicated with * include VAT for books; the €(D) includes 7% for Germany, the €(A) includes 10% for Austria. Prices indicated with ** include VAT for electronic products; 19% for Germany, 20% for Austria. All prices exclusive of carriage charges. Prices and other details are subject to change without notice. All errors and omissions excepted..