Abstract
Hölderlin's poetry can be understood as his response to the meaning and possibility of Kant's philosophy. He writes poetry for two main purposes: to construct and convey the myth of enlightenment philosophy, and to form a national myth: making Germany a nation of philosophy. It is in this fundamental sense that Heidegger regarded Hölderlin as the unique Germany poet who understands the essence of Dasein. Herperion regards Greece as a philosophical origin because the Greeks had a philosophical regulation on the concept of "whole" or "one"; but only when Hölderlin, nurtured by Kant's philosophy, digests the Greek's philosophical thinking can he conceive the new philosophy nation: Germany, or, the destiny of Germany conceptualized by Hölderlin. The realization of this destiny depends on a successful enlightenment of human nature. However, since it is a reinvention of nature, it is at most a "second nature", not "nature" in itself. Hölderlin's poetry can be understood as his response to the meaning and possibility of Kant's philosophy. He writes poetry for two main purposes: to construct and convey the myth of enlightenment philosophy, and to form a national myth: making Germany a nation of philosophy. It is in this fundamental sense that Heidegger regarded Hölderlin as the unique Germany poet who understands the essence of Dasein. Herperion regards Greece as a philosophical origin because the Greeks had a philosophical regulation on the concept of "whole" or "one"; but only when Hölderlin, nurtured by Kant's philosophy, digests the Greek's philosophical thinking can he conceive the new philosophy nation: Germany, or, the destiny of Germany conceptualized by Hölderlin. The realization of this destiny depends on a successful enlightenment of human nature. However, since it is a reinvention of nature, it is at most a "second nature", not "nature" in itself.
First Page
131
Last Page
137
Recommended Citation
Lou, Lin. 2019. "Hölderlin and the Destiny of Germany." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 39, (1): pp.131-137. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol39/iss1/5
