⚜ Hamann: A Critic of the Absoluteness of Reason in German Philosophy ⚜
✒ Written by: Ijaz-ul-Haq Ijaz
Hamann was a prominent philosopher of the Sturm und Drang movement, which emerged in Germany as a reaction against the Enlightenment (Aufklärung). He was the teacher of the renowned philosopher Herder, who introduced Goethe to Hamann's ideas—ideas that had a profound impact on Goethe. Goethe even acknowledged Hamann's influence on the German Romantic movement in his work Dichtung und Drang.
Hamann, Herder, Goethe, and Jacobi all opposed the Enlightenment view that reason is self-sufficient and absolute, and that it alone should serve as the ultimate criterion for evaluating religion, ethics, and social phenomena.
This was an era when reason held supremacy in Western philosophy. Hamann took a stand against this by asserting that reason itself is a social and cultural construct, and that language plays a fundamental role in its formation. Therefore, it is incorrect to consider reason as the absolute criterion for judging religion and morality.
Hamann highlighted the role of language long before Wittgenstein, underscoring that language forms the very basis of our understanding of reason.
In his youth, Hamann traveled to London on a diplomatic mission. However, faced with failure and the humiliating behavior of the Russian diplomatic staff, he fell into despair and depression. This led him briefly into a phase of moral decline, but he soon distanced himself from these distractions and immersed himself in deep intellectual contemplation.
In his philosophy, the boundary between the natural and the supernatural dissolves. He considers nature to be the language of God, and views objects and phenomena of the universe as divine symbols. He states:
"Does not a blade of grass tell us that God exists? Then do not even the smallest human actions point towards the same?"
For Hamann, nature and history are two great commentaries of God, and he urges the study of both. He emphasizes that God is present in human thoughts and actions, making His presence felt through them.
The Enlightenment held that man is self-conscious, and that this consciousness is solely the result of reason. But Hamann refutes this notion, stating:
"I do not truly know what I am; only God knows."
According to him, since reason is a created entity, it cannot pass judgment upon God.
On July 27, 1759, Hamann wrote an important letter to Kant, strongly resisting the assaults of reason on faith. Referring to David Hume, he wrote:
"If human reason cannot affirm the smallest of things, how can it affirm the existence of a great being like God?"
Hamann’s stance was in stark contrast to Kant’s philosophy. In Critique of Pure Reason, Kant argued that when reason contemplates metaphysical realities, it becomes entangled in antinomies. Yet, Kant still regarded reason as autonomous, whereas Hamann challenged the very absolutism of reason.
Hamann held that faith is not merely to believe but an experience in itself. Hence, faith is also a form of knowledge, but of a distinct kind. He was a fierce critic of the notion that faith can be dismissed through reason. He argued that the scope of reason is limited, and it cannot encompass metaphysical truths.
Like Schelling, Hamann also believed that art is a means to comprehend reality. His ideas significantly influenced Schelling’s conceptions of art. In his book Aesthetica in nuce, Hamann emphasized the metaphysical dimensions of art, stating that the purpose of art is not mere sensual pleasure, but the expression of high moral values and metaphysical truths.
One of Hamann’s major intellectual contributions was his book Metacritic, in which he critiqued Kant’s critical philosophy. Kant had presented reason as the ultimate criterion, but Hamann took it a step further and stated:
"If reason can critique everything, then it must also be critiqued itself."
He also argued that reason is not universal but rather a product of specific contexts and cultures, and it evolves with time. While Kant regarded reason as absolute, Hamann considered it relative.
According to Hamann, the greatest flaw in Kant’s philosophy was his separation of sensory perception and understanding, without clarifying their connection. Hamann argued that language plays a crucial role in eliminating this dualism, as language inherently includes both sensory elements and intellectual meaning.
✒ Written by: Ijaz-ul-Haq Ijaz
❖ Enlightenment and Hamann's Thought
Hamann was a prominent philosopher of the Sturm und Drang movement, which emerged in Germany as a reaction against the Enlightenment (Aufklärung). He was the teacher of the renowned philosopher Herder, who introduced Goethe to Hamann's ideas—ideas that had a profound impact on Goethe. Goethe even acknowledged Hamann's influence on the German Romantic movement in his work Dichtung und Drang.
Hamann, Herder, Goethe, and Jacobi all opposed the Enlightenment view that reason is self-sufficient and absolute, and that it alone should serve as the ultimate criterion for evaluating religion, ethics, and social phenomena.
❖ Hamann’s Position Against the Absoluteness of Reason
This was an era when reason held supremacy in Western philosophy. Hamann took a stand against this by asserting that reason itself is a social and cultural construct, and that language plays a fundamental role in its formation. Therefore, it is incorrect to consider reason as the absolute criterion for judging religion and morality.
Hamann highlighted the role of language long before Wittgenstein, underscoring that language forms the very basis of our understanding of reason.
❖ Hamann’s Intellectual Transformation and Philosophy
In his youth, Hamann traveled to London on a diplomatic mission. However, faced with failure and the humiliating behavior of the Russian diplomatic staff, he fell into despair and depression. This led him briefly into a phase of moral decline, but he soon distanced himself from these distractions and immersed himself in deep intellectual contemplation.
In his philosophy, the boundary between the natural and the supernatural dissolves. He considers nature to be the language of God, and views objects and phenomena of the universe as divine symbols. He states:
"Does not a blade of grass tell us that God exists? Then do not even the smallest human actions point towards the same?"
For Hamann, nature and history are two great commentaries of God, and he urges the study of both. He emphasizes that God is present in human thoughts and actions, making His presence felt through them.
❖ Hamann’s Critique of Reason and Faith
The Enlightenment held that man is self-conscious, and that this consciousness is solely the result of reason. But Hamann refutes this notion, stating:
"I do not truly know what I am; only God knows."
According to him, since reason is a created entity, it cannot pass judgment upon God.
On July 27, 1759, Hamann wrote an important letter to Kant, strongly resisting the assaults of reason on faith. Referring to David Hume, he wrote:
"If human reason cannot affirm the smallest of things, how can it affirm the existence of a great being like God?"
Hamann’s stance was in stark contrast to Kant’s philosophy. In Critique of Pure Reason, Kant argued that when reason contemplates metaphysical realities, it becomes entangled in antinomies. Yet, Kant still regarded reason as autonomous, whereas Hamann challenged the very absolutism of reason.
❖ Faith: Not Mere Belief, But an Experience
Hamann held that faith is not merely to believe but an experience in itself. Hence, faith is also a form of knowledge, but of a distinct kind. He was a fierce critic of the notion that faith can be dismissed through reason. He argued that the scope of reason is limited, and it cannot encompass metaphysical truths.
❖ Hamann’s Concept of Art
Like Schelling, Hamann also believed that art is a means to comprehend reality. His ideas significantly influenced Schelling’s conceptions of art. In his book Aesthetica in nuce, Hamann emphasized the metaphysical dimensions of art, stating that the purpose of art is not mere sensual pleasure, but the expression of high moral values and metaphysical truths.
❖ Hamann’s
One of Hamann’s major intellectual contributions was his book Metacritic, in which he critiqued Kant’s critical philosophy. Kant had presented reason as the ultimate criterion, but Hamann took it a step further and stated:
"If reason can critique everything, then it must also be critiqued itself."
He also argued that reason is not universal but rather a product of specific contexts and cultures, and it evolves with time. While Kant regarded reason as absolute, Hamann considered it relative.
❖ Hamann, Kant, and the Role of Language
According to Hamann, the greatest flaw in Kant’s philosophy was his separation of sensory perception and understanding, without clarifying their connection. Hamann argued that language plays a crucial role in eliminating this dualism, as language inherently includes both sensory elements and intellectual meaning.
