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Home  »  Literary and Philosophical Essays  »  Introductory Note

Literary and Philosophical Essays.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

J. C. Friedrich von Shiller

Introductory Note

AN OUTLINE of the life of Schiller will be found prefixed to the translation of “Wilhelm Tell” in the volume of Continental Dramas in The Harvard Classics.

Schiller’s importance in the intellectual history of Germany is by no means confined to his poetry and dramas. He did notable work in history and philosophy, and in the department of esthetics especially, he made significant contributions, modifying and developing in important respects the doctrines of Kant. In the letters on “Esthetic Education,” which are here printed, he gives the philosophic basis for his doctrine of art, and indicates clearly and persuasively his view of the place of beauty in human life.