Einige Beobachtungen zur Verwendung organischer Metaphern in Wilhelm von Humboldts agonaler Ästhetik

Wilhelm von Humboldt's reflections upon aesthetics are closely connected with frequent forays into the provinces of scientific thought. Especially during his stay in Jena (1794-'95), Humboldts sets out to interpret the results of experimental knowledge within the frame of a singularly speculative theory of Nature. The struggle for existence distinguishing organic life from inorganic matter is construed as the hinge question not only to explain the process of natural creation but also to shed some light upon many a significant issue in the field of aesthetics. Contending for a view of art as the realm of an ever increasing tension towards organic beauty and aesthetic perfection, Humboldt turns the outcomes of well established epigenetic theories into the premises of a general theory of culture. Organic metaphors play a crucial role. The purpose of this paper is to get a sample of how the rhetoric of organic imagery works and to assess its contribution to the making of Humboldt's aesthetic discourse, notably in his two essays written for Schiller's literary journal "Die Horen".