The Dialogues of Francois Hemsterhuis, 1778-1787

The first English translation of Francois Hemsterhuis' widely influential late dialogues, which came to be entwined in contemporary philosophical debates in GermanyThe four published dialogues offer diverse treatments of non-materialist philosophy. Sophylus is concerned with providing the basic epistemological structures that Hemsterhuis believes are compatible with common sense, Socratic inquiry and Newtonian science. Aristeaus is a sustained series of reflections on arguments for the existence of God, concepts of order and chaos in the universe. Simon is closely modelled on Plato's Symposium in style, structure and content and provides the clearest statement of Hemsterhuis' late ethics and aesthetics. Finally, Alexis the favourite work of many of the German Romantics uses contemporary discussions of astronomy and optics to formulate a mythic ode to the role of enthusiasm and feeling in the constitution of wisdom. Two editorial introductions supplement these translations the first by Daniel Whistler considers Hemsterhuis' relationship with Amelia Gallitzin and how that influenced what he came to call 'our philosophy' and the second by Laure Cahen-Maurel examines the role played by Jacobi and others in the transmission of these texts and their influence on Holderlin's Hyperion and Novalis' Hemsterhuis-Studies in particular.