German Romanticism and Science

Situated at the intersection of literature and science, Holland's study draws upon a diverse corpus of literary and scientific texts that testify to a cultural fascination with procreation around 1800. Through readings from Goethe, Novalis, and Ritter, Holland proposes that each author contributes to a scientifically-informed poetics of procreation.

"Holland's insightful and compelling account brings alive some important debates in Romantic science, illuminating a fascinating chapter in the history of vitalism and materialism alike." Paul Bishop, University of Glasgow, UK, Modern Language Review

Autorentext
Jocelyn Holland is Assistant Professor, Department of German and the Program for Comparative Literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Klappentext

Situated at the intersection of literature and science, Holland's study draws upon a diverse corpus of literary and scientific texts which testify to a cultural fascination with procreation around 1800. Through readings which range from Goethe's writing on metamorphosis to Novalis's aphorisms and novels and Ritter's Fragments from the Estate of a Young Physicist, Holland proposes that each author contributes to a scientifically-informed poetics of procreation. Rather than subscribing to a single biological theory (such as epigenesis or preformation), these authors take their inspiration from a wide inventory of procreative motifs and imagery.

Inhalt
Chapter 1 Introduction, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 2 Poetic Procreation and Goethe's Theory of Metamorphosis, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 3 Friedrich von Hardenberg and the Discourse of Procreation, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 4 The Poet as Artisan and the Instruments of Procreation, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 5 Johann Wilhelm Ritter and the Writing of Life, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 6 Procreative ThinkingScientific Projects, Jocelyn Holland; Conclusion, Jocelyn Holland;