Moses Mendelssohn's Metaphysics and Aesthetics

by Munk, Reinier

• ISBN13: 9789400724501
• ISBN10: 9400724500
• Edition: Bilingual
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-10-20
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

This book presents an extended dialogue in essay form between specialists in the work of Moses Mendelssohn, and experts in important trends in related late-seventeenth and eighteenth century thought.  The first group of contributors explores themes in Mendelssohn'¬"s metaphysics and aesthetics, presenting both their internal argumentative coherence and their historical context. The second outlines the context of Mendelssohn'¬"s views on specific topics, and describes his contribution to the discussion of them. The essays are organized in four sections. The first pairs two essays on Mendelssohn'¬"s theory of language and writing. The second section offers three essays addressing a number of topics in Mathematics and philosophy in Mendelssohn. A group of eight essays follows, dealing with Metaphysics in a historical context.  The fourth section presents five essays discussing Mendelssohn'¬"s Aesthetics in a historical context.  Moses Mendelssohn'¬"s Metaphysics and Aesthetics arises from a conference held in Amsterdam in 2009, which gathered numerous authorities to address the central theme. Taken together, these eighteen essays present a sophisticated portrait of Mendelssohn, packed with detail and rich in complexity.