Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) was a German poet / playwright / philosopher? whose work had inspired many famous classical music. He was a contemporary and closest friend of Goethe. Some of the work that had his influence included: * Beethoven ''Nineth Symphony'' (Ode to Joy) * Rossini ''William Tell'' * Verdi ''Don Carlos'' Information adopted from http://herewestand.org/english/HereWeStandMagazine/OdeToJoy.html ---- '''Man is greater than his Fate''' He originated the aesthetic philosophy. Aesthetic education promotes the ability of mankind to sublime his circumstances. * The Schiller Institute was found based on this philosophy. See http://www.larouchepub.com/hzl/2004/3128schiller_20_intro.html The aesthetic ideal is achieved by an interaction of passive and active forces, producing a balance between feeling and reason. There exists opposing forces in human nature: the '''passive sensual''' (or physical) drive, and the '''active rational''' (or formal) drive. While the sensual drive is toward physical reality, the rational drive is toward formal reality. '''The more autonomy or self-determining activity is transferred to the Person, the less that the Person is subject to changing forces in the world.''' ---- '''Beauty and the Beast''' On at least one occasion, there has been critique of people promoting FriedrichSchiller as the person who successfully argued the case of "pursuit of aesthetic beauty". A critic remarked: * The new conception of art is committed to the inevitability of suffering rather than the assurance of happiness. It seeks to induce the "kind of philosophical calm" that, as Eugene Delacroix writes in his journal, "prepares us for suffering and raises us above mere nothings." ---- Reference material at * http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2220/is_2_44/ai_96377776/pg_1 * http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/schiller.html ---- OffTopicIsOk