Fate in Modernity: Tragedy, Negativity, and the German Tradition

Is there such a thing as fate? And if so, does it mean that our lives are inevitably predetermined? Or does it mean that, because of our freedom, we can make choices that tragically lead to our misery and demise? Numerous thinkers in the German tradition have grappled with these questions, and this book unpacks the attendant debates and highlights their relevance to the present. A controversy in eighteenth-century theater serves as the starting point: Are the characters on the modern stage ...