Romanticism as a historical and philosophical phenomenon: modern interpretations

The article offers an interpretation of the philosophy of romanticism as a historical and philosophical phenomenon based on recent studies. It is shown that the analysis of the romantic tradition is relevant in the context of modern tendencies to revise the classical historical-philosophical canon. It is proposed to distinguish romanticism as a philosophical phenomenon from a historical and cultural phenomenon. Specifically, romanticism as a philosophical phenomenon is localized in Germany at the end of the 18th century, while its multiple variations should be discussed in the context of a broader historical-philosophical phenomenon. It is shown that romanticism as a philosophical phenomenon has its foundations in querelle des Anciens et des Modernes. However, this movement’s central ideas are existential, political, and epistemological. In particular, representatives of the philosophy of romanticism “radicalize” the Enlightenment, offering original ideas of individuality (authenticity, Buildung), society (new mythology), and culture (opposing it to civilization). Romanticism is still of interest as one of the first manifestations of a critical reaction to modern society and the problems arising from industrialization and urbanization. At most, it should also contain the foundations of the continental tradition of philosophizing, which is aimed at a critical attitude toward modernity. The article also examines the interpretations of romanticism by Richard Rorty and Charles Taylor. It is shown that for both authors, the importance of romanticism is determined by its emphasis on the primacy of imagination over reason. This idea not only undermines the classical rational tradition but also paves the way for a new conception of individuality and society in the conditions of the variability of historical existence. Specifically, it finds continuation in connection with the idea of self-assertion of the subject in the conditions of the finitude of existence, the orientation of philosophy towards the future, and the creation of new social practices.