The Self as Muse: Narcissism and Creativity in the German Imagination 1750-1830 (Transits: Literature, Thought & Culture, 1650–1850)

While there are countless philosophical and psychological studies that focus on sources of the self, narcissism has found relatively little attention in a pre-Freudian context. The Self as Muse fills this gap by examining various aspects of narcissism and their significance for the outpouring of creativity in late eighteenth and nineteenth-century German literature. In many Eighteenth-century works of the period narcissism refers to the creation of an idealized image of the self and the desire to merge with this image. It provided an impetus for poetic production as writers resorted to the Greek myth of Narcissus to express what they perceived as the inner workings of their soul. Yet they were also acutely aware of the vain, and therefore narcissistic, motivations for their explorations of the self. While those influenced by the Pietist tradition attempted to distinguish between an 'unselfish' self-scrutiny and self-indulging vanity, others like Goethe took advantage of narcissism's creative potential and integrated it into their aesthetic endeavors. The abundance of confessional and autobiographical accounts, the burgeoning of poetry drawing on personal experience, the emergence of a type of drama that is based on empathy, and the concern with an individual's ability to control one's senses and emotions in general testify to an unprecedented interest in notions of the self in German literature. MathSs explains the emergence of narcissism in the literature of the period as a sense-inspired concept that aims to bring about a better comprehension of both the self and other human beings, and how writers used narcissism to improve the moral behavior of their readers. It examines eighteenth-century representations of narcissism against the background of Freudian and post-Freudian notions of the concept, and explores narcissism as a creative process that engages both reader and writer in the production of meaning. By showing narcissism's pervasive allure for a broad array of literary productions, MathSs shows that narcissism is a constitutive force not only in literary production but also in the construction of modern subjectivity. Yet this construction is by no means complete and invites the reader to strive toward the illusive image of an ideal. While there are countless philosophical and psychological studies that focus on sources of the self, narcissism has found relatively little attention in a pre-Freudian context. The Self as Muse fills this gap by examining various aspects of narcissism and their significance for the outpouring of creativity in late eighteenth and nineteenth-century German literature. In many Eighteenth-century works of the period narcissism refers to the creation of an idealized image of the self and the desire to merge with this image. It provided an impetus for poetic production as writers resorted to the Greek myth of Narcissus to express what they perceived as the inner workings of their soul. Yet they were also acutely aware of the vain, and therefore narcissistic, motivations for their explorations of the self. While those influenced by the Pietist tradition attempted to distinguish between an "unselfish" self-scrutiny and self-indulging vanity, others like Goethe took advantage of narcissism's creative potential and integrated it into their aesthetic endeavors. The abundance of confessional and autobiographical accounts, the burgeoning of poetry drawing on personal experience, the emergence of a type of drama that is based on empathy, and the concern with an individual's ability to control one's senses and emotions in general testify to an unprecedented interest in notions of the self in German literature. Mathas explains the emergence of narcissism in the literature of the period as a sense-inspired concept that aims to bring about a better comprehension of both the self and other human beings, and how writers used narcissism to improve the moral behavior of their readers. It examines eighteenth-century representations of narcissism against the background of Freudian and post-Freudian notions of the concept, and explores narcissism as a creative process that engages both reader and writer in the production of meaning Narcissism And The Self: An Introduction / Alexander Mathäs -- Part I: Narcissism And The Senses. Narcissism And The Sublime / Alexander Mathäs; -- Narcissism, The Self, And Empathy: The Paradox That Created Modern Literature / Fritz Breithaupt -- Part Ii: Narcissism And Morality. Self-reflection And Knowledge Of Self In Hamann's Early Philosophical And Aesthetic Writings / F. Corey Roberts; Narcissistic Investments And Transformations In Theodor Gottlieb Von Hippel's Lebenslaufe Nach Aufsteigender Linie And Über Die Ehe / Ann Schmiesing; Some Day My Prince Will Come: Fürstenspiegel And The Bourgeois Writer / Gail K. Hart -- Part Iii: Over And Against Freud. Werther's Sentimental Narcissism: Consciousness, Communication, And The Origin Of The Modern Psyche / Edgar Landgraf; -- I Suffered And I Loved: Narcissism And Abject Desire In Goethe's Confessions Of A Beautiful Soul / Susan Gustafson -- Part Iv: Reading And Writing Narcissism. Textual Narcissism In Kleist's Über Das Marionettentheater / Richard Block; That Specter In My Name: Writing And Its Mirror Effects In Hoffmann And Poe / Martin Klebes. Edited By Alexander Mathäs. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. While there are countless philosophical and psychological studies that focus on sources of the self, narcissism - the creation of an ideal image of the self and the vain attempt to merge with it - has found relatively little attention in a pre-Freudian context. The Self as Muse fills this gap by examining various aspects of narcissism and their significance for the outpouring of creativity in late eighteenth and nineteenth-century German literature. Narcissism provided an impetus for poetic production when writers expressed what they perceived as the inner workings of their soul. By showing narcissism's pervasive allure for a broad array of literary productions, MathSs shows that narcissism is a constitutive force in both literary production and the construction of modern subjectivity. Yet this construction is by no means complete and invites the reader to strive toward the illusive image of an ideal Introduction: Narcissism and the Self Narcissism and the Senses Narcissism and the Sublime Narcissism, the Self, and Empathy Part II: Narcissism and Morality Self-Reflection and Knowledge of Self in Hamann's Early Philosophical and Aesthetic Writings Narcissistic Investments and Transformations in Th.G. von Hippel's Lebensläufe nach aufsteigender Linie and Über die Ehe "Some Day My Prince Will Come": Fürstenspiegel and the Bourgeois Writer