Hegel on Hamann

Appendix: Hegel’s Notebook Entries on Hamann

Hamann—drama or novel. The novel represents for us the position of the drama—since [man today] must settle [the] conflict of the characters within himself. Reconciliation with oneself—[one is] more complete [fertiger] in his way—decline—character can be understood as facility [Fertigkeit], reconciliation , or as decline. Decline into a philistine’s life—giving up the difficult tears of passion ’s ideal. Hamann walked through not ideals, resolutions of youth— not generality, ideals announced themselves in him—not an outlook on art. Immediately aimed at particular individualities—their improvement, rectification. Not the poetry of youth— Stuck, so to speak, in friendship, i.e., direction toward detail. Polemics —not of the ideal against reality. Germans [are] not, never at home in themselves—from the beginning of their history—raids—migrations—honestly—i.e., positive habit— and theoretically—extravagance—not character. Modern times—descriptions—differences in manner, being outside oneself, i.e., being crazy. Hamann’s Kant critique, R 6:183, 186–87. Another germ of later, higher self-education from the inside out, whose time is to awaken in youth, is not distinguishable in Hamann—a poetry of youth, a fantasizing, passion, if you will—an interest which is certainly still quite ideal, general, immature, but firm, passion for an object of intellectual activity, science, which becomes decisive in his life. Hamann not in this torture of the Pietists—sinning, doing penance— but [one] feels no sins. Torturing [oneself], believing oneself a sinner— the sublime, the highest grief, not to recognize his sins; see Hahn1 —the self-conceit, to make oneself lamentingly a sinner, lying to oneself, to be a sinner, that one is a sinner, and the grace of God—Hamann was really a sinner; bad jokes. Appendix: Hegel’s Notebook Entries on Hamann 55 ...