The Persistence Of Romanticism: Essays In Philosophy And Literature

Has Romanticism been superseded by realism, modernism, and postmodernism, all of which are often taken to acknowledge reality more fully than Romanticism? What is it that Romantic thinkers and writers do? Why does what they do matter? Is Romanticism a think of the past? These challenging essays defend Romanticism against its critics. They argue that Romantic thought, interpreted as the ongoing pursuit of freedom in concrete contexts, crossed by frustration and marked by desire, remains a central and exemplary form of both artistic work and philosophical understanding. Marshaling a wide range of texts from literature, philosophy, and criticism, Richard Eldridge traces the central themes and stylistic features of Romantic thinking in the work of Kant, Holderlin, Wordsworth, Hardy, Wittgenstein, Cavell, and Updike. Through his analysis he shows that Romanticism is neither emptily literary and escapist nor dogmatically optimistic and sentimental. This philosophical defense of the ideals and practice of Romanticism will appeal particularly to all professionals and students in philosophy, literature, and aesthetics who are interested in expressivist thinking about value and freedom, as it is developed in both literary and philosophical texts

‘No More Heroes’: Critical Perspectives on Leadership Romanticism

This paper revisits Meindl et al’s (1985) ‘romance of leadership’ thesis and extends these ideas in a number of inter-related ways. First, it argues that the thesis has sometimes been neglected and/or misinterpreted in subsequent studies. Second, the paper suggests that romanticism is a much broader and more historically rich term with wider implications for leadership studies than originally proposed. Arguing that romanticism stretches beyond leader attribution, we connect leadership theory to a more enduring and naturalistic tradition of romantic thought that has survived and evolved since the mid-18th century. Third, the paper demonstrates the contemporary relevance of the romanticism critique. It reveals how the study of leadership continues to be characterized by romanticizing tendencies in many of its most influential theories, illustrating this argument with reference to spiritual and authentic leadership theories, which only recognize positive engagement with leaders. Equally, the paper suggests that romanticism can shape conceptions not only of leaders, but also of followers, their agency and their (potential for) resistance. We conclude by discussing future possible research directions for the romanticism critique that extend well beyond its original focus on leader attribution to inform a broader critical approach to leadership studies

Frankenstein: a monstrous romanticism

Includes bibliographical references.The purpose of this thesis is to examine the relationship between Mary Shelley's first novel Frankenstein and her own understanding of Romanticism. The overarching theme is to illustrate how Mary Shelley navigates her criticism of Romanticism through the medium of Victor Frankenstein as a character. With the inspection of Victor Frankenstein some autobiographical similarities are drawn between the protagonist and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Another aim and extension of this autobiographical project is to examine how Percy Shelley's editing of the original manuscript of Frankenstein added or detracted from the plot. Finally, the genre implications of Frankenstein are examined in this thesis. In the first chapter, Romanticism is examined in relation to how the Romantics themselves envisioned their ideology so as to ascertain which aspects Mary Shelley draws particular attention to. The Romantic theorists used in this section specifically, Abercrombie and Schueller, are used to highlight the fact that Romanticism can be defined as a unified system of belief. Certain tenets of this ideology are then shown to be the main points that Mary Shelley criticises. In the second chapter, the autobiographical element of Mary Shelley's relationship with Percy Shelley is examined. The parallels between Victor Frankenstein and Percy Shelley are made apparent through the use of biographers Hoobler and Seymour. From that, the precise changes that Percy Shelley made to the original manuscript of Frankenstein are scrutinised with Mellor's insightful explication of the original that exists in the Bodleian Library. The conclusion of this chapter solidifies the argument of the first chapter, and as close attention is paid throughout both chapters to the novel as a primary source of confirmation, the complex navigations and articulations of Romanticism throughout Frankenstein are made apparent. In the third chapter, attention is given specifically to the genre implications of Frankenstein, and the relationship and consistent oscillation between Romanticism and the Gothic is traced. The theorists used in this part of the thesis vary widely and include Botting, Golinski and Alwes. It is argued that in her destabilisation of Romanticism, Mary Shelley invariably incorporates the Gothic into her text. It is this complex weaving of genres which is particularly interesting in relation to how Mary Shelley's disillusionment with Romanticism produces a text that has such a vast array of genre possibilities. Finally, this thesis looks at the negative interpretation of Romanticism specifically in relation to Mary Shelley's critical expressions of its ideology in Frankenstein. As a cautionary tale, the consequences of Romantic principles unchecked by a societal conscience, Mary Shelley seems to have used Frankenstein as a way of expressing her disillusionment. The repercussions of what ultimately is an original story of a scientist who unleashes his creation without concern for its welfare are still present in the common consciousness of modern society

Romanticism and Christianity

The fervency of Romantic notions sometimes caused the Romantics to stray from Christianity; nonetheless, Romanticism offers many insights that can enhance Christian life and inspire worship of God

Digital Timeline: German Romanticism

This assignment served as a review for a class on German Romanticism. The information on the syllabus was not organized thematically; students were able to review and chronologically organize this information and have a better visual representation of the content they reviewed

6. Schiller and Romanticism

To define romanticism is to attempt something which the romantics themselves insist cannot be done. But we can try to identify and then describe it, first pointing out what it is not. One stable element in romanticism has been its consistent rejection of its opposite, classicism. While no great piece of art has ever existed which did not contain elements of both romanticism and classicism, the partisans of these two different points of view have insisted that different emphases made it great. Where classicism emphasised analysis, objectivity harmony, wholeness, meaning, and discipline, romanticism stressed synthesis,subjectivity,disharmony, individuality,suggestiveness. and spontaneity. [excerpt

A phenomenological study of home baking: The ‘Rebirth of Romanticism' and the rise of the craft consumer

This paper investigates home baking as an instance of ‘craft consumption' (Campbell, 2005) against the backdrop of rising participation in the phenomenon of home baking and the increasing importance of emotion in consumption defined as the ‘Rebirth of Romanticism' movement (Gray, 2011). Phenomenological interviews conducted with a sample of 14 home bakers indicate that pleasure, authenticity and simplicity all play an important role in bakers' experiences, lending support to Gray's argument that a ‘Rebirth of Romanticism' can be discerned within this context of contemporary consumption. Moreover, our findings reveal that pleasure is linked in part to the opportunity to engage in ‘manual labour', an activity missing in the professional working lives of our consumer sample. These preliminary findings add depth to Campbell's (2005) theoretical conceptualisation of the craft consumer. Further research focusing on different contexts such as DIY and gardening are needed in order to assess the robustness of the concept of the craft consumer and the status of the Rebirth of Romanticism

The biographical construction of Robert Fergusson, 1774-1900

This article traces the biographical construction of Robert Fergusson from his death to the nineteenth-century biography by A.B. Grosart. It explores the influence of Romanticism, the Burns cult and the literature of sensibility on the construction of Fergusson's life, and explores some fictional representations of the poet