Nineteenth Century Political Philosophy The development of Romanticism
Jan 15, 2016
Nineteenth Century Political Philosophy
The development of Romanticism
Political Liberalism• Associated with England and Low Countries• Protestant
– Appreciates Work ethic– Commerce and Industry
• Tolerant– Wars over religion are just silly
• Respect for Rights of Property• Individualistic
– Social mobility possible
• Role of education to improve one’s lot in life• Based on Reason and Rational thought• John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume
RomanticismPassion over Calculation
• Anti-thesis of Rational Liberalism• Anti-Industrial, Commercial• Medieval Nostalgia
– Chivalry and Heroism stressed
• Individualism reinterpreted– Passions rather than Intellect
• Admire all strong passions– Even negative violent ones
– Cult of the Hero
• Nationalism encouraged– Rebellions justifiable
• War justifiable in defence of ‘Liberty’• Byron, Rousseau, Kant, Fichte, Nietzsche• Identified with Germany
Rousseau
Kant
Nationalism
Romanticism
Hegel
Nietzsche
Schopenhauer
Jean Jacques Rousseau 1712 – 1778
“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains”
• Father of Romantic Movement– Noble Savage
• Opponent of Progress and Industrialisation– Makes government powerful– Crushes individuals– Material benefits no match for human
friendship/emotions
• Politics and morality cannot be separated• Learn by experience• Social Contract
– Bible of French Revolution
Rousseau’s Social Contract– Justifies totalitarianism
• Democracy best in small states• Aristocracy best in medium states• Monarchy best in large states
– Big fan of City States• Sparta over Athens • The General Will of the people is easily recognisable
– Equality over liberty • Each of us puts his person under the supreme
direction of the general will • The general will is always right• Every man governed by self interest
– Self-interest good for the individual– Self-interest is also good for the community
– Lack of respect for private property• The State is master of all their goods
Immanuel Kant1724 - 1804
• German Idealist – Romanticist– Building block for Hegel
• Pedantic University Professor• Believed in Democracy• Supported French Revolution up to Terror• Advocated Federation of free states who outlaw
war – as war is utterly irrational• Prussian – but not a nationalist
– Often argued with authorities over some of his more liberal ideas
Immanuel Kant’s Ideas• Critique of knowledge as a means of reaching
philosophical conclusions– Mind more important than matter
• “There can be nothing more dreadful than that the actions of a man should be subject to the will of another”– Rights of Man ideals – Moral worth exists only when a man acts from a sense of duty
• Two imperatives driving the will of humans– Hypothetical Imperative
• You must do so and so if you wish to achieve such and such– Categorical Imperative
• Act as if the maxim of your action were to become a general natural law
– Ie – if it were applied by everybody would it work» Eg it is wrong to borrow money because if we all did, there
would be no money to borrow
Georg Hegel1770 - 1831
• Prussian University Professor• Protestant• 1806 Jena• Nothing is completely real except the whole (like a
complex organism)– Called ‘The Absolute’– Mr A is an uncle
• Uncle means nothing without a Nephew– The Universe cannot be spherical
• Spheres have a boundary• A boundary only exists when something lies outside the
boundary
• There is no freedom without law– In fact, freedom is the right to obey law
• ‘Spirit’ is the essential historical force
Hegel’s Spirit• Historical development of spirit
– Oriental (despotism)• One is free
– Greeks & Romans (Aristocracy)• Some are free
– German (Monarchy – NOT Democracy)• All are free
– The monarch embodies the will of all
• ‘The State is the idea of Spirit in the external manifestation of human Will and its freedom’
• “The German Spirit is the spirit of the new world”– Rewrites German History
• Not barbarians but the true spirit of man fighting the effete Romans
• Protestant and United Prussia praised over Catholic and disunited Austrians
Nations and Individuals in Hegel’s World
• Nations– Nations are the principle of historical
development– A particular nation shows the true spirit
• Germany
• Individuals– A few world historically important
individuals who embody true spirit• Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon
– War allows for the spirit to be purely represented
Artur Schopenhauer1788 - 1860
• Danzig, Prussia• Dark, philosophical pessimist• Influenced by Plato, Kant, The Vedas, Goethe
– Ascetic Mystic combined with Hellenism• The World as Will and Idea 1818 • Emphasizes the role of ‘Will’
– The Primacy of the Will– As the creative but irrational force of human nature
• Ethically evil (Pessimistic)– Only Art can withstand the role of Will
• Personally dislikes Hegel despite some philosophical similarities
• Influences Nietzche
Friedrich Nietszche1844 - 1900
• Saxony• Son of Lutheran Pastor• University of Basel• 1870 Franco Prussian War
– Medical orderly– Retires in ill health
• Ill health plagues Nietszche for rest of life– Insane 1888 - 1900
Friedrich Nietzsche’s Ideas• Admires strength of will above all else
– Spartan ideals• Life is hard – the difficulties of life allows us to appreciate the
best parts of life– Suffering amplifies the pleasure
• Believes in Heroes (individuals over the State)– UberMensch – Superman
• Masses can suffer to produce a great man• Napoleon
• Anti-Democratic & Anti-Liberal– All are not equal– Democracy leads to mediocrity– Believes in the superiority of the Aristocrat
• Not a Nationalist– Wants an international super-aristocracy to guide humanity
• Anti-Christian– Dislikes submission to a Higher Order– Prefers old testament to new testament– Not anti-semitic