Transculturality and German discourse in the age of European colonialism

In Transculturality and German Discourse in the Age of European Colonialism, Chunjie Zhang examines the South Pacific travel writings of George Forster and Adelbert von Chamisso, literary works by August von Kotzebue and Johann Joachim Campe, Herder's philosophy of history, and Kant's theory of geography from the perspective of non-European impact during the age of Europe's colonial expansion. She explores what these texts show about German and European superiority, the critique of the slave trade, European moral debauchery, acknowledgments of non-European cultural achievements, and sympathy with colonized peoples. Moving beyond the question of empire versus enlightenment, Zhang's book diligently detects global connections, offering much to scholars of literature, culture, and intellectual history. -- From publisher's website Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction. Defining Transculturality; or, Reading from the Other Side 18 Chapter 1. Georg Forster in Oceania: Enlightenment, Sentiment, and the Intrusion of the South Seas 36 Chapter 2. Adelbert von Chamisso’s Friendship: Genre, Kadu, and Relations 58 Chapter 3. Krusoe Robinson’s Adventure: Technology of the Self and Double Consciousness in Joachim Heinrich Campe’s Robinson der Jüngere 80 Chapter 4. The New World, Femininity, and Refusal of Tragedy in August von Kotzebue’s Melodramas 102 Chapter 5. Johann Gottfried Herder: Historicism, Cultural Relativism, and the Iroquois Perpetual Peace 134 Chapter 6. Immanuel Kant’s Physische Geographie: Authorship and the Geographical Order of Things 176 Epilogue 192 Notes 196 Works Cited 244 Index 262 Zusammenfassung: Introduction. Defining transculturality; or, Reading from the other side -- Georg Forster in Oceania : enlightenment, sentiment, and the intrusion of the South Seas -- Adelbert von Chamisso's friendship : genre, Kadu, and relations -- Krusoe Robinson's adventure : technology of the self and double consciousness in Joachim Heinrich Campe's Robinson der Jungere -- The new world, femininity, and refusal of tragedy in August von Kotzebue's melodramas -- Johann Gottfried Herder : historicism, cultural relativism, and the Iroquois perpetual peace -- Immanuel Kant's Physische Geographie : authorship and the geographical order of things -- Epilogue Outlines a transcultural discourse to highlight the influence of non-European cultures on German thinking in the eighteenth century. Moving beyond the question of empire or enlightenment, Chunjie Zhang's book shifts from predominantly critiquing Eurocentrism toward diligently detecting global connections and enhancing the visibility of non-European contributions in global modernity.