Module V·Article II·~2 min read
Romanticism as a Cultural Reaction: Nature, Genius, and Nation
Enlightenment, Bourgeoisie, and the Birth of Public Culture
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Against the Enlightenment: Feeling versus Reason
Romanticism (late 18th — mid-19th century) is a cultural reaction to the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Feeling and intuition as opposed to reason. Nature as opposed to urban civilization. The uniqueness of each nation and personality as opposed to universal principles. Spirituality and mystery as opposed to a mechanistic world.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau — the forerunner: “Back to nature,” “The Noble Savage” (who, in reality, is not quite as commonly imagined), “Émile” as education through nature. The French Revolution horrified romantic conservatives (Burke, de Maistre) and inspired romantic radicals (the young Wordsworth, Byron).
The Romantic Genius
The concept of the “genius” is specifically Romantic. Before Romanticism, the artist was a craftsman following rules. Romanticism created the image of the artist-genius: a solitary creator drawing from the depths of their own soul, breaking the rules, suffering due to the crowd’s incomprehension. Beethoven — the embodiment; Mozart — the forerunner.
This is a cultural construction with immense consequences. It created the cult of the “star” artist, which survived into pop culture. It devalued collective creativity and craftsmen. It gave rise to gender discrimination: the “genius” is male; a woman artist is an anomaly requiring explanation.
Romanticism and Nationalism
Romanticism was the fertile ground for nationalism. Herder (the forerunner): every people — the “Volk” — possesses a unique spirit (“Volksgeist”) embodied in language, folklore, traditions. The preservation of cultural identity is the highest value.
The Brothers Grimm collected German fairy tales not out of nostalgia, but as part of a cultural-political program: to create a German national identity through a common corpus of folklore. Scott wrote Scottish novels — not merely for entertainment, but as a narrative construction of Scottish identity. Pushkin — Russian literature as a project of national identity.
Question for reflection: Romanticism created the cult of the “solitary genius.” How does this image influence modern corporate culture: the cult of the founder-visionary? In which cases is it beneficial, and in which is it destructive?
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