Ironie of genders in Schlegel’s Lucinde

Abstract

We purport to analyse the novel Lucinde by F. Schlegel and its context from a philosophical point of view. In the inquiry, a pivotal role will be played by the concept of irony in the elaboration and understanding of such a peculiar work, which gathers and develops the research experience of the author, together with his thought and life, during his stay in Dresden and Jena, as well as at the beginning of his stay in
Berlin (1792-1801). Irony is a complex concept, developed on the basis of the critical study of Fichte’s philosophy. It allows a new approach to art, love and education – an approach which is both fruitful and flexible. In particular, art may be seen as the highest expression of philosophy, whereas love represents the key topic of the novel. Equally crucial, here, is the way in which the relationship between men and women, or genders to be more precise, is construed. According to Schlegel, genders are, ultimately, cultural constructs. The latter aspect will be shortly addressed with a view to assessing the present-day relevance of Schlegel’s thought, in light inter alia of the so-called gender philosophy.