HERDER, JOHANN GOTTFRIED 'VON, an illustrious German thinker, was b. at Morungen, in e. Prussia, in 1744, and studied philosophy at Kbnigsberg under Kant, for whom he conceived an enthusiastic admiration, although subsequently he became one of his most resolute opponents. Here, also, he made the acquaintance of Hamann (q.v.), who first introdu.7,,d him to the oriental languages and literatures, and made him appreciate the poetic beauty of the primitive civilizations. In 1764 he was ap pointed assistant professor and preacher at the cathedral school of Riga, where his sermons were greatly admired. Here he published his first works, Fragments fiber die macre Deutsche Literatur (Fragments on the Recent German Literature, 1767), in which, with bold and fiery vehemence, he attacked the wretched puerilities and errors of the national literature of the day, and the Kritische 'Milder (lit., Critical Forests, 1769), once, but no longer, of great theological importance. These two works contain the germs of all that is essentially peculiar and characteristic in Herder's thinking. It was during a temporary residence at Strasburg that Goethe made his acquaintance. The latter was five years younger than Herder, and, as yet, nameless in literature; while Herder, by his Fragments, was kindling with new fire the soul of Germany. Goethe almost worshiped him; he tells us (in his autobiography) that the very handwriting of Herder exercised "a magical influence" (eine magisae gewalt) over him. In 1775, on the recommendation of Goethe., he was invited to Weimar by the grand-duke, and appointed court-preacher and consistorial councilor. Here he resided until his death, which took place Dee. 18, 1803. Herder's writings are very numerous, amounting in all to 60 vols. (Stuttg. 1827-30). They may be divided into three classes: 1. Those relating
to religion and theology; 2. Those relating to literature and art; 3. Those relating to philosophy and history. As a theologian his most important work is his Geist, der. I Te,hr. Poesid (Spirit of Hebrew Poetry, Hess. 1782; later edition, Ldp. 1825; translated into English by Dr. James Marsh, 2 vols. Burlington, 1833). As a philosopher he has left behind him a fund of valuable observations on nature and mankind. His philosophical master-piece is his unfinished liken Z2/1' Philosophic der Geschickte der Mensehheit (Ideas towards a Philosophy of the History of Mankind, 4 vols. Riga, 1784-91; 4th edition, with Luden's Introduction, 2 vols. Leip..1941; translated into English by T. Churchill under the title, Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man). in this work all the rays of his genius converge. Ills aim is to represent the entire history of the race as a series of events pointing to a higher destiny than has yet been revealed. His love and reverence for humanity are intense, pure, passionate. An ideal humanity, it might almost be said, is his divinity, in whose service he labors with restless zeal. That enthu siasm, however. which made Herder so effective as a mover of men's Minds, had its fatal compensation in a deficiency of artistic excellence. His writings have not that line perfection of style and method which will enable them to float down the stream of time unmolested. Among his other works may be mentioned his Gediehte, and the Cid, the last of which is considered by the Spaniards themselves to be truly Spanish in its spirit. See Herder's Lebenbikl, executed by his son (Erlang. 6 parts, 1846-47,)