The testament of 'Dichtung und Wahrheit' : an enquiry into Goethe's mode of secularization
This thesis explores Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's use of his inherited religious tradition in his autobiography Aus meinem Leben. Dichtung und Wahrheit. It has as its premise the contention that, although scholarship has addressed to a considerable extent the question of Goethe's personal religious beliefs and their bearing on his works, there has emerged no manifest scholarly agreement on the nature and significance of Goethe's attitude to religion. This lack of consensus is explored, and possible reasons for it are posited. It is concluded that any attempt to define Goethe's putative personally held beliefs is of limited historical and critical interest, and the focus of this study on Goethe's application in his written works of material derived from the tradition of religion is justified. The use of religious concepts in an ostensibly non-religious context introduces the concept of secularization, which is analyzed in terms of its etymological and epistemological origins and implications. From this analysis emerges the relevance of the concept of binary synthesis for an appreciation of Goethe's use of elements of his inherited religious tradition. Binary synthesis is defined as a heuristic, and then applied
Plenderleith, Helen Jane
Philosophy
The testament of 'Dichtung und Wahrheit' : an enquiry into Goethe's mode of secularization. This thesis explores Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's use of his inherited religious tradition in his autobiography Aus meinem Leben. Dichtung und Wahrheit. It has as its premise the contention that, although scholarship has addressed to a considerable extent the question of Goethe's personal religious beliefs and their bearing on his works, there has emerged no manifest scholarly agreement on the nature and significance of Goethe's attitude to religion. This lack of consensus is explored, and possible reasons for it are posited. It is concluded that any attempt to define Goethe's putative personally held beliefs is of limited historical and critical interest, and the focus of this study on Goethe's application in his written works of material derived from the tradition of religion is justified. The use of religious concepts in an ostensibly non-religious context introduces the concept of secularization, which is analyzed in terms of its etymological and epistemological origins and implications. From this analysis emerges the relevance of the concept of binary synthesis for an appreciation of Goethe's use of elements of his inherited religious tradition. Binary synthesis is defined as a heuristic, and then applied
testament und enquiry goethe mode secularization explores goethe use inherit religious_tradition autobiography leben und premise contention although scholarship address considerable extent question goethe personal religious_belief bear work emerge manifest scholarly agreement nature_significance goethe attitude religion lack_consensus explore possible_reason posit conclude attempt_define goethe putative personally hold beliefs limited historical_critical interest focus study goethe application write work material_derive tradition religion justify use religious concept ostensibly non religious_context introduces concept secularization analyze term etymological epistemological origin implication analysis emerge relevance concept binary synthesis appreciation goethe use element inherit religious_tradition binary synthesis define heuristic apply