Kritische Bemerkungen zur Geschichte der religiösen Toleranz und zur Tradition der Lessing'schen Ringparabel
Author: Dinzelbacher, Peter1
Source: Numen, Volume 55, Number 1, 2008 , pp. 1-26(26)
Publisher: BRILL
Key:
- Free Content
- New Content
- Subscribed Content
- Free Trial Content
- Free Content
- New Content
- Subscribed Content
- Free Trial Content
Abstract:
Although the medieval tradition of the famous parable which stands in the centre of Lessing's Nathan der Weise is quite well known, the present writer holds that the older versions of this motive are usually misinterpreted, being habitually read in the light of the German poet's text written during the age of enlightenment. An analysis, however, of the original stories of Etienne de Bourbon, Busone, Boccaccio et al., shows that their real aim was to illustrate an aporia and the shrewdness necessary to escape from it, not to call for religious tolerance. Indeed, the latter idea grew out of the disasters of the Thirty Years' War only, and was nearly completely alien to the Middle Ages. The few exceptions (Wolfram von Eschenbach, Ramon Llull, Nicolaus Cusanus) — and their limitations — are briefly discussed.Keywords: RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE; MIDDLE AGES; LESSING; RING PARABLE
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1163/156852708X271279
Affiliations: 1: Institut für Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte, Universität Wien, Universitäts-Hauptgebäude, Dr. Karl Lueger-Ring 1, A-1010 Wien, Österreich;, Email: peter.dinzelbacher@aon.at
Key:
- Free Content
- New Content
- Subscribed Content
- Free Trial Content
- Free Content
- New Content
- Subscribed Content
- Free Trial Content
Click here for Page Help