The Philosophy of Life, and Philosophy of Language, in a Course of Lectures

Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von SchlegelProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0
Word count
1.4M words
Chapters
136

Tags

English Originals Language and WritingWestern Philosophy History of PhilosophyPhilosophy of LanguageHumanistic CareIntellectual EnlightenmentWestern ThoughtAcademic MonographAcademic StudyLecture CourseEclectic ReadingSpeculative Tradition

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.The philosophy of life, and philosophy of language, in a course of lecturesAuthor: Schlegel, Friedrich von, 1772-1829,Language: English, Class: B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Release Date: Aug 23, 2013

Editor's review

This is a philosophical work by Friedrich von Schlegel presented as a course of lectures, organized around two main threads—the philosophy of life and the philosophy of language—into a coherent course of lectures on the meaning of life, spiritual activity, and the nature of language. The lecture form has the advantage of clear structure and orderly progression: readers can follow the lecturer's thought step by step into the questions rather than facing fragmented aphorisms. Its value lies in presenting the overall concern of German Romantic philosophy with the relationship between life and language: language is not merely a tool of expression but is seen as the way spirit and thought take shape. Reading the book requires some background in the history of philosophy, especially a basic grasp of German idealism; otherwise the terminology and leaps of argument increase the difficulty. It suits philosophy students or serious enthusiasts as extended reading, and readers interested in the origins of the philosophy of language will find it worth slow reading. Proceed in the order of the lectures, take conceptual notes as you read, and when encountering key terms first clarify their meaning in the context of the time, then look back at how earlier and later lectures echo them.

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Reading tips

  1. Read the table of contents first to grasp the order of lectures, then proceed lecture by lecture without skipping.
  2. Keep conceptual notes recording recurring key terms and their contextual meanings.
  3. After each lecture, summarize the argument in three to five sentences before moving on.
  4. Read alongside an introductory history of German philosophy to lower the threshold of understanding.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
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  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
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  11. 11
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FAQ

Can I read this book without any philosophical background? It will be challenging. This is a lecture-form philosophical work involving abstract arguments on the philosophy of life and of language, with dense terminology. Readers with zero background may get stuck at leaps in concepts. It is advisable first to read a history of German philosophy or an introduction to idealism to build a basic framework before entering this book.
Does this book mainly discuss life or language? Both equally. The title itself marks two parts, "philosophy of life" and "philosophy of language"; the lectures discuss the meaning of life and spiritual activity while also exploring the nature and role of language. While reading, note how the two threads support each other rather than treating them as unrelated topics.
How does the lecture form affect reading? Lecture form is usually coherent and progressive, suited to sequential reading. It is more systematic than aphorisms but retains the speaker's oral momentum. Readers can take notes following the rhythm of the lectures and summarize key points at the end of each, which clearly improves comprehension.
Is the electronic edition suitable for academic citation? The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain electronic text usable for general reading and study. For formal academic citation, check against an authoritative print edition or note the electronic source, and confirm page and paragraph numbers to avoid inaccuracies caused by layout differences.

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About the author

Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel Author · German · 1772–1829

Friedrich von Schlegel (1772–1829) was a German writer, critic, philosopher, and Indologist, and one of the principal founders of the Jena Romantic movement. Born in Hanover, he co-founded the journal Athenaeum with his brother, which became an important organ of early Romanticism. His work On the Language and Wisdom of the Indians is regarded as a pioneering achievement in comparative linguistics, reflecting his lasting interest in language, myth, and Eastern thought. In later life he converted to Catholicism and served the Austrian government, dying in Dresden. Three of his works are held in this collection, including The Philosophy of Life, and Philosophy of Language, in a Course of Lectures and the two-volume The Philosophy of History. These lecture-style writings are clear in expression yet speculative in character, displaying his systematic thinking on language, history, and religion, and offering reference value for the study of German Romanticism and the philosophy of history.