A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism
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University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK
2011
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ucin13218942072021-08-03T06:15:19Z A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism Arnett, Lyn M. Romanticism Posthumanism Humanism Ludwig Tieck E.T.A Hoffmann Novalis In this thesis, I aim to show through a close analysis of three canonical works—Novalis’ blonde Eckbert, and E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, all found in the epoch of German Romanticism—that one of the major themes within this period is the idea of rethinking what it means to be human. Furthermore, I will show that there exists a common thread between the Romantic period of German literature and the developing philosophy of Posthumanism through the fact that both genres rethink the definition of what it means to be human. The anthropocentric view of Humanism —the definition of which is developed further in the thesis —was questioned by the many of the German Romantics and is presently being investigated by Posthumanists. Novalis, I argue, believed that humanity needed to return to a state of unity with nature, because it was through nature that man was able become his best. Novalis, much like the Pro-nature Humanist (a form of Posthumanism) understand that nature was not a force to be subdued but one to be worked with. Through this, humanity would realize their position outside the center of the world and be able to live in unity and equality with the organic universe. Like Novalis, Ludwig Tieck wrote on forces outside the realm of man’s power. He struggled most with the idea of the supernatural and its impact on man’s life, believing that it was a real and powerful force that had the ability to alter the way one lived his or her life. This idea is further developed through the eyes of a Posthumanist, who sees the supernatural, or irrational, as an influential force in the daily life of a 21st century human being. Similar to Tieck’s perspective, which was not necessarily fully positive or completely negative, Posthumanists do not have a strong stance towards one side or another. They, I argue, settle in the middle with the understanding that the supernatural can be beneficial if the human being is able to accept and walk in agreement with it. However, Posthumanists do differ from one Romantic author although they write and work through the same issues within the scientific world: robots. E.T.A Hoffmann’s work Der Sandmann, is a negative critique on the possible future of the scientific developments that were happening during the 19th century. Hoffmann believed that if humanity continued to toy with science they would create an image of themselves that would cause their future destruction, in this case Olimpia the robot, while Posthumanists see the positive in the development of science and its capabilities. In conclusion, it is possible to see the threads that run between German Romanticism and Posthumanism through these three works as both generations rethink the human being in relation to the world around them. Many of the exact same questions were asked in the 19th century are being asked in the 21st Century, and they will continue to be asked in upcoming generations as humanity progresses. 2011 English text University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1321894207 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1321894207 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
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NDLTD |
| language |
English |
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NDLTD |
| topic |
Romanticism Posthumanism Humanism Ludwig Tieck E.T.A Hoffmann Novalis |
| spellingShingle |
Romanticism Posthumanism Humanism Ludwig Tieck E.T.A Hoffmann Novalis Arnett, Lyn M. A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism |
| author |
Arnett, Lyn M. |
| author_facet |
Arnett, Lyn M. |
| author_sort |
Arnett, Lyn M. |
| title |
A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism |
| title_short |
A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism |
| title_full |
A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism |
| title_fullStr |
A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism |
| title_full_unstemmed |
A Reexamination Of What It Means To Be Human: A Comparative Study Of The Ties Between German Romanticism And Posthumanism |
| title_sort |
reexamination of what it means to be human: a comparative study of the ties between german romanticism and posthumanism |
| publisher |
University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2011 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1321894207 |
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