Personality

Tagore, Rabindranath, 1861-1941Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 230K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Persönlichkeit by Rabindranath TagoreAuthor: Tagore, Rabindranath, 1861-1941,Language: German, Class: B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Release Date: Mar 17, 2014

Editor's review

Persönlichkeit is a collection by Tagore published in German, classified under philosophy, psychology, and religion, gathering his reflections on personality, the self, and the spiritual life. Tagore was not only a poet but a thinker, and the book's mode of argument is closer to essayistic and lecture-like meditation, with a concise and quietly poetic style suited to slow reading. The German translation offers readers another path into Tagore's thought, especially for those interested in the transmission of Indian philosophy in the Western-language world. The core of the discussion is not the construction of an abstract system but how personality gains meaning between the finite and the infinite, the individual and the whole, bearing Tagore's characteristic Eastern humanist atmosphere. There is no need to read it straight through; one may enter piece by piece and read it in dialogue with Tagore's poetry. For researchers, the book can serve as material in the reception history of Tagore's thought; for general readers, it is a quiet and patient intellectual walk.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Tagore's philosophical and religious thought
Researchers with German reading ability who follow the Western transmission of Indian thought
Literary readers who enjoy essayistic meditation and are willing to read slowly
Students of comparative literature and translation studies

Not a good fit for

General readers without German who hope to read a Chinese translation
Readers expecting plot-driven narrative or light entertainment
Beginners seeking a systematic philosophy textbook framework

Reading tips

Read piece by piece, one or two essays at a time, leaving intervals for digestion and reflection.
Read alongside Chinese translations of Tagore's poetry to sense the kinship between his thought and his poetic quality.
Keep simple notes on recurring keywords such as personality, self, and the infinite.
If German reading is difficult, first learn the relevant background of Tagore's thought, then proceed section by section.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a collection of Tagore's poems?

No. According to the materials, the book is classified under philosophy, psychology, and religion and is a work of thought with a poetic style, but poetry is not its main body; it should not be approached as a poetry collection.

Can I read this book without knowing German?

Direct reading is quite difficult. This is a German edition; it is advisable first to learn about Tagore's relevant thought through Chinese or English, then use the book as comparative or research material.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to philosophy?

Not very suitable as a systematic introduction to philosophy. It is closer to essayistic meditation and lacks a textbook framework; readers with some grounding in Tagore or experience in philosophical reading will find it easier to enter.

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About the author

Tagore, Rabindranath, 1861-1941 Author

Tagore, Rabindranath (1861-1941) was a renowned Indian poet and writer whose work spans poetry, fiction, drama, and essays. The library holds thirty-three of his works, including the poetry collections Gitanjali, The Gardener, and Stray Birds, the novel The Home and the World, as well as Sadhana: The Realisation of Life and My Reminiscences. His poetry is known for its clear, melodious language and often explores nature, love, and the divine, combining philosophical reflection with lyricism; his fiction attends to social realities and inner lives, portraying the clash between tradition and modernity. Public information is limited and his full biography remains unclear, yet these works reveal a concise and moving style that has had a profound influence on later literature, inviting readers to encounter Eastern philosophical thought and humanistic care through his verse and prose.