Friedrich Hölderlin and the German idealist philosophy of his day
View/ Open
Date
1983Author
Simpson, David L.
Metadata
Abstract
The present thesis takes its original impetus from the
author's conviction that the German philosophy of the
"Goethezeit" represents a peak of metaphysical insight
and achievement comparable with the original flowering
of European philosophical thought in the age of Plato and
Aristotle. Until recently, it was fashionable to regard
Kant and Hegel as the two 'giants' of this second flowering and to consign other philosophers, such as Fichte
and Schelling, to the role of supporting figures. However,
in recent years, the pioneer efforts of such scholars as
Walter Schulz, plus the interest shown by modern philosophers such as Martin Heidegger, have drawn attention to
depths in the philosophy of Schelling which had been ignored by the leading exponents of Idealist philosophy,
due to their sympathy for the ideas of Kant and/or Hegel.
In addition, again due partly to the insights of Heidegger, there has developed a realisation among ever widening circles that Friedrich Holderlin was also one of
these 'giants' of metaphysics. His strictly philosophical
works are limited in number and in length. However, his
contribution cannot be measured in terms of quantity: I
would maintain, and have tried to show in the present
work, that it was his original insight and inspiration
which formed the basis for all of Schelling's work as of
the late 1790's. In the process, I have followed Holderlin 's thought back to what I see as its roots: the ideas
of the Presocratics, early Plato and Kant's third "Kritik'.'