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Full Idea
Romantic poetry recognises as its first commandment that the free choice [Wilkür] of the poet can tolerate no law above itself.
Gist of Idea
For poets free choice is supreme
Source
Friedrich Schlegel (works [1798], Frag 116 p.32), quoted by Terry Pinkard - German Philosophy 1760-1860 06
Book Ref
Pinkard,Terry: 'German Philosophy 1760-1860' [CUP 2002], p.161
A Reaction
This leads to Shelley's 'poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the race'. We should also take it as a response to Kant's categorical imperative, which leads to the Gauguin Problem (wickedness justified by the art it leads to).
| 22029 | Irony is the response to conflicts of involvement and attachment [Schlegel,F, by Pinkard] |
| 22030 | For poets free choice is supreme [Schlegel,F] |
| 22068 | Poetry is transcendental when it connects the ideal to the real [Schlegel,F] |
| 22070 | Irony is consciousness of abundant chaos [Schlegel,F] |
| 22071 | True love is ironic, in the contrast between finite limitations and the infinity of love [Schlegel,F] |
| 22069 | Plato has no system. Philosophy is the progression of a mind and development of thoughts [Schlegel,F] |