Classical Humanism and the Challenge of Modernity: Debates on Classical Education in 19th-century Germany (Philologus: Supplemente / Philologus: Supplementary Volumes)

In scholarship, classical (Renaissance) humanism is usually strictly distinguished from 'neo-humanism', which, especially in Germany, flourished at the beginning of the 19 th century. While most classical humanists focused on the practical imitation of Latin stylistic models, 'neohumanism' is commonly believed to have been mainly inspired by typically modern values, such as authenticity and historicity. Bas van Bommel shows that whereas 'neohumanism' was mainly adhered to at the German universities, at the Gymnasien a much more traditional educational ideal prevailed, which is best described as 'classical humanism.' This ideal involved the prioritisation of the Romans above the Greeks, as well as the belief that imitation of Roman and Greek models brings about man's aesthetic and moral elevation. Van Bommel makes clear that 19 th century classical humanism dynamically related to modern society. On the one hand, classical humanists explained the value of classical education in typically modern terms. On the other hand, competitors of the classical Gymnasium laid claim to values that were ultimately derived from classical humanism. 19 th century classical humanism should therefore not be seen as a dried-out remnant of a dying past, but as the continuation of a living tradition. Contents 7 Preface 11 Abbreviations 13 Introduction 15 Classical education and modern society 15 The concept of ‘neohumanism’ 17 ‘Neohumanism’ versus classical humanism 20 The paradigm of modernity 26 Structure and method 28 Part I: The Persistence of Classical Humanism 31 19th-century classical humanism: the case of Karl Gottfried Siebelis (1769– 1843) 33 Introduction 33 Nine constitutive aspects of classical humanism 37 The variety of classical humanism 50 Teaching practice 55 The persistence of classical humanism 66 Part II: The Adaptability of Classical Humanism 73 Introduction 75 1. The Challenge of Science 78 Introduction 78 Philology as science 78 Classical humanism and scientific philology 78 Classical education as schöne Wissenschaft 83 The Kantian turn 87 Classical philology as ‘pure science:’ Friedrich August Wolf 89 Scientific philology as a humanistic discipline 93 The continuity of Gymnasium education 101 Pedagogy as science 108 Introduction 108 National education: Fichte and Jachmann 109 The unitary school: Humboldt and Süvern 113 Humanism as totalitarian pedagogy 116 Mythos Humboldt 119 2. The Challenge of the Bürgerschule 124 Introduction 124 Classical education and the rise of the Bürgerschule 1770–1800 129 Introduction 129 The quest for Bürger education 131 Material and formal education 135 The common good 140 Conclusion 146 Latin education in Bürgerclassen 148 Introduction 148 Postponing Latin 148 Sprachen and Sachen 150 The quest for Latin textbooks 152 The fight against grammar: Latin as a colloquial language 155 Conclusion 159 The Bürgerschule as humanistic institution 1800–1860 161 Introduction 161 The concept of the Realgymnasium: Ernst Gottfried Fischer 162 Realism as a form of humanism 165 The Bürgerschule as humanistic institution 167 Formal education 167 Ideal education 169 Two types of humanness: Karl Scheibert 172 The modern Humanitätsschule: Karl Mager 175 Conclusion 180 3. The Challenge of Christianity 182 Introduction 182 Classical humanism and rationalism 187 The quest for religious ethos 187 Education and ethos 190 ‘Neohumanism’ and Christianity 192 Classical humanism and Christianity 197 Introduction 197 Classical antiquity as precursor of Christianity 197 Historicisation and educational practice 206 Curtailing classical education 208 The debate on patristic literature 213 Conclusion 217 Conclusion 218 Bibliography 222 Index 245

In scholarship, classical (Renaissance) humanism is usually strictly distinguished from 'neo-humanism', which, especially in Germany, flourished at the beginning of the 19th century. While most classical humanists focused on the practical imitation of Latin stylistic models, 'neohumanism' is commonly believed to have been mainly inspired by typically modern values, such as authenticity and historicity.
Bas van Bommel shows that whereas 'neohumanism' was mainly adhered to at the German universities, at the Gymnasien a much more traditional educational ideal prevailed, which is best described as 'classical humanism.' This ideal involved the prioritisation of the Romans above the Greeks, as well as the belief that imitation of Roman and Greek models brings about man's aesthetic and moral elevation.
Van Bommel makes clear that 19th century classical humanism dynamically related to modern society. On the one hand, classical humanists explained the value of classical education in typically modern terms. On the other hand, competitors of the classical Gymnasium laid claim to values that were ultimately derived from classical humanism. 19th century classical humanism should therefore not be seen as a dried-out remnant of a dying past, but as the continuation of a living tradition.

This book challenges the common view that classical education in 19th-century Germany was dominated by a progressive ideal called 'neohumanism'. The prevailing ideal of education at the German Gymnasien was emphatically traditional and is best described as classical humanism. Moreover, this 19th-century classical humanism dynamically related to modern society and should therefore be seen as the continuation of a living tradition. In der Reihe Philologus. Supplemente / Philologus. Supplementary Volumes werden Monographien und Sammelbände zu allen Themen der Klassischen Philologie und ihrer Rezeption veröffentlicht. Der Fokus liegt insbesondere auf den neuesten Ansätzen der Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft in einer interdisziplinären Perspektive In der Reihe Philologus. Supplemente / Philologus. Supplementary Volumes werden Monographien und Sammelbande zu allen Themen der Klassischen Philologie und ihrer Rezeption veroeffentlicht. Der Fokus liegt insbesondere auf den neuesten Ansatzen der Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft in einer interdisziplinaren Perspektive.