Research Catalog

Title

Frederick the Great's philosophical writings / edited by Avi Lifschitz ; translated by Angela Scholar.

Author

Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786

Publication

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2021]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Lifschitz, Avi, 1975-

Description

xlvi, 249 pages; 25 cm

Summary

"The first modern English edition of diverse Enlightenment-era writings by Prussian monarch Frederick the Great. Frederick II of Prussia (1712-1786), best known as Frederick the Great, was a prolific writer of philosophical discourses, poems, epics, satires, and more, while maintaining extensive correspondence with prominent intellectuals, Voltaire among them. This edition of selected writings, the first to make a wide range of Frederick's most important ideas available to a modern English readership, moves beyond traditional attempts to see his work only in light of his political aims. In these pages, we can finally appreciate Frederick's influential contributions to the European Enlightenment-and his unusual role as a monarch who was also a published author. In addition to Frederick's major opus, the Anti-Machiavel, the works presented here include essays, prefaces, reviews, and dialogues. The subjects discussed run the gamut from ethics to religion to political theory. Accompanied by critical annotations, the texts show that we can understand Frederick's views of kingship and the state only if we engage with a broad spectrum of his thought, including his attitudes toward morality and self-love. By contextualizing his arguments and impact on Enlightenment beliefs, this volume considers how we can reconcile Frederick's innovative public musings with his absolutist rule. Avi Lifschitz provides a robust and detailed introduction that discusses Frederick's life and work against the backdrop of eighteenth-century history and politics. With its unparalleled scope and cross-disciplinary appeal, Frederick the Great's Philosophical Writings firmly establishes one monarch's multifaceted relevance for generations of readers and scholars to come."--www.bookdepository.com.

Uniform Title

Works. Selections. English

Alternative Title

Works.

Subject

• Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786 > Philosophy
• Philosophy

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Call Number

JFE 21-2028

ISBN

• 0691176426
• 9780691176420

OCLC

1151104252

Author

Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786, author.

Title

Frederick the Great's philosophical writings / edited by Avi Lifschitz ; translated by Angela Scholar.

Publisher

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2021]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Added Author

Lifschitz, Avi, 1975- editor.

Research Call Number

JFE 21-2028