Hume in der deutschen Aufklärung. Umrisse einer Rezeptionsgeschichte (review)

BOOK REVIEWS 3o~ because God must apply the "law of contrariety" to create the world--that we exist at all. One might argue against Gouhier that it is only this "humanisme d6vot," which makes God and man partners, however unequal, that can really give man a definite role in Christian theology. If one reassigns most of 'Thumanisme d6vot" to the anti-humanist camp, antihumanism occupies the bulk of the relevant literature and Gouhier's title is explained, but the puzzles become even more pressing as he follows the Jansenist controversies and the labyrinths of the search for the "true" St. Augustine. He is surely right to press the question about the possibility of a creative and unique human function in the universe. But perhaps it would be better to say that the issue is, first of all, whether God and man have a master-puppet relation or whether they are partners. Once that question has been answered (if it can be), the more dramatic question becomes whether or not any adequate concept of man can be instantiated in any universe in which an adequate idea of God is instantiated. This thinly veiled possibility raised fears and gave its sharp edge to the philosophical theology of the period. As always, Gouhier has ordered the facts illuminatingly, written with charm, and left us with some unsettling questions. LESLIE ARMOUR The University of Ottawa Gfinter Gawlick and Lothar Kreimendahl. Hume in der deutschen Aufkl~rung. Umrisse einerRezeptionsgeschichte. Forschungen und Materialien zur deutschen Aufld/irung, Vol. 4. Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Friedrich Fromann Verlag, 1987. Pp. 235. NP. Gawlick and Kreimendahl's study of Hume's influence upon German thought during the second half of the eighteenth century represents a welcome departure from the traditional discussions of Hume's German relations. It surveys the entire extent of Hume's effects in Germany, and is not restricted to discussing Kant's "answer" to Hume. Gawlick and Kreimendahl want to provide us with the "outlines" of the real history of Hume's reception, and "to do more justice to Hume's actual fate in Germany ." Accordingly, they see their task as one of "working up [aufarbeiten] the reception of Hume's philosophy before, by, and besidesKant" (1 a). In doing this, they believe they have created also a history of philosophy "from below [yon unten]" that "throws new and not unflattering light on Kant" (13). Gawlick and Kreimendahl may usefully be seen as trying to accomplish their task in two stages. The first of these is mainly bibliographical. It is to be found in the first three chapters. Following a short Introduction (11-13), they offer a descriptive bibliography of the German translations of Hume's works (Chapter 2, 14-44; see also the Bibliography , 199-2o2), and then give a brief account of the many reviews Hume's works received in German journals (Chapter 3, 45-83; see also Bibliography, 202-20). In the second stage they draw definite conclusions about the more profound effects of Hume's philosophy in Germany, and attempt to characterize the broader outlines of Hume's influence. Thus Chapter 5 (84-119) considers Hume's effects on theoretical 302 JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 28:2 APRIL 1990 and practical philosophy, Chapter 6 (1~o-42) discusses philosophical theology, Chapter 7 (143-59) deals with theology proper, while Chapters 8 and 9 treat the influence of the HtstoU (16o-67) and the Autobiography (168-73). The final chapter is devoted to "Manifest and Apocryphic Hume-Reception in Kant" (x74-98). All of this is most interesting. Gawlick and Kreimendahl uncover not only a great deal of new and significant information, they also have interesting things to say about most of it. Without doubt, there is much to be learned from their account. Their descriptive bibliography of the Humean texts in German is most helpful, and goes a long way towards remedying the considerable shortcomings of Jessop's account. Nobody interested in Hume's effects in Germany can afford to neglect it. The same holds true for their bibliography of the reviews of Hume's works in German journals. They list roughly 120 reviews which are directly concerned with works by...