Romanticism and the Sciences

While the Romantic period has attracted a great deal of interest in recent times, there has neen no general work since 1941 on the relationship between Romanticism and the sciences. This new book presents a series of essays, each specially written by an expert in the area, which focus on the role of Romantic philosophy and ideology in the sciences, and on the role of the sciences in Romantic literature. The contributions are designed to give a systematic coverage of the whole field. They are written at a popular level; they are well-illustrated; and are accompanied by suggestions for further reading suitable for undergraduates and others. Divided helpfully into four sections under the titles 'Romanticism', 'Sciences of the Organic', 'Sciences of the Inorganic', and 'Literature and the Sciences', the book discusses various themes, movements and theories, as well as individual scientists and writers (including Schelling, von Humboldt, Goethe, Ritter, Davy, Oersted, Kleist, Coleridge, and Buchner). There is an editorial introduction prefiguring some of the concerns of the books. This original collection, designed to provide a balance of literary and scientific interests for students in both humanistic and scientific disciplines and occupies an important place in a previously underexplored field.