Schiller As Philosopher A Re-Examination [Hardcover]

Fred Beiser, renowned as one of the world's leading historians of German philosophy, presents a brilliant new study of Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805), rehabilitating him as a philosopher worthy of serious attention. Beiser shows, in particular, that Schiller's engagement with Kant is far more subtle and rewarding than is often portrayed. Promising to be a landmark in the study of German thought,Schiller as Philosopherwill be compulsory reading for any philosopher, historian, or literary scholar engaged with the key developments of this fertile period.

Introduction
1. Early Philosophy
2. An Objective Aesthetic
3. Grace and Dignity
4. Argument and Context of theAsthetische Briefe
5. Dispute with Kant
6. Autonomy versus Enlightenment
7. The Philosophy of Freedom
8. Theory of Tragedy
Appendix 1: Rhetoric and Philosophy in Schiller's Essays
Appendix 2: The Neo-Kantian Interpretation of Schiller
Bibliography
Index

This is an important, scholarly attempt to evaluate Schiller as a philosopher. It forges new understandings of his stance on such essential subjects as beauty, aesthetics, and the theory of drama. Beiser (Syracuse Univ.) takes a chronological view, including letters, essays in periodicals, and even the footnotes that accompany essential documents. He includes a strong bibliography and two appendixes, one about rhetoric and philosophy in Schiller's essays and the other about the neo-Kantian interpretation of Schiller. Accessible to readers without knowledge of German, this study is particularly valuable because it revisits the accepted wisdom about Schillers' relationship to such significant philosophers as Fichte and Rousseau. [Beiser] calls for greater attention to primary sources as scholars continue to evaluate Schiller's philosophical contribution to has age and our own. --Choice