The Early Writings of François Hemsterhuis, 1762-1773

The first ever English translation of François Hemsterhuis’ early series of philosophical letters published during the 1760s and 1770s

Translates four letters into English for the first time: 'Letter on an Antique Gemstone', 'Letter on Sculpture', 'Letter on Desires' and 'Letter on Man and his Relations', together with the short pamphlet 'Philosophical Description of the Character of the Late Mr. F. Fagel'

Includes full scholarly apparatus and commentaries

Traces these letters' remarkable influence on the French Enlightenment, German Idealism and German Romanticism: from Goethe, Herder and Jacobi to Diderot, Tolstoy and Croce

This critical edition publishes Hemsterhuis’ 'Letter on an Antique Gemstone', 'Letter on Sculpture', 'Letter on Desires', 'Letter on Man and his Relations' and 'Philosophical Description of the Character of the Late Mr. F. Fagel' chronologically to gradually reveal Hemsterhuis’ complete systematic vision.

These letters are supplemented by three introductions. The first by Peter Sonderen pinpoints the significance of Hemsterhuis’ remarkably influential aesthetics. The second by Jacob van Sluis provides the context to 'Letter on Man and his Relations'. And the third by Gabriel Trop focuses on the importance of these writings in the history of ideas, especially Herder’s translation and ‘Postscript’ to the 'Letter on Desires', Diderot’s commentary on the 'Letter on Man and his Relations' and Goethe’s incorporation of Hemsterhuis’ definition of beauty into his aesthetic reflections.

François Hemsterhuis (1721–90) was a Dutch thinker of aesthetics and moral philosophy. He was hugely influential on the French Enlightenment, German Idealism and German Romanticism, but his works have been largely overlooked in English-language scholarship until now.