Customer Reviews

The Magus of the North: J.G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism

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This is apainful review for me to write, as I admire many of Berlins writings. However, this book does little more than to reveal Berlins inability to comprehend Christian mysticism or religous belief. Hamann scholars(and one of my best friends is a Hamann scholar) are almost unanimous in dismissing Berlins book. Hamann was not "stupid" ( such well known intellectual lightweights as Goethe,Kant, Kierkegaard and Hegel regarded him as a genius.)nor was he an 'irrationalist', unless it is "rational' to worship "reason". Yes, Hamann questioned many of the shibboleths of progressive, enlightened "humanism"..they could stand some criticism. To suggest some sort of genealogical linkage between Hamann and the Third Reich is, to say the least,absurd. At least one could hope that some reader might turn from reading Berlins little essay and turn to Hamanns writings, in all their wonderful strangeness, or at even better to hunt down Ronald Gregor Smith fascinating, out of print book, J.G. Hamann,Philosopher of christian Existence, or Gwen Griffith Dickson scholarly, but frightfully expensive, Hamanns Meta-Critique of Reason. Let me just say in closing that Michael Oakeshott had a point when he called Isaiah Berlin "A veritable Pagannini of Ideas."

This book is better than these reviews let on. It is true that the book is not a happy look at Hamann's work, but Berlin is no dummy. He has read Hamann and for those of us who would appreciate Hamann's Lutheran hedonism, he doesn't spoil it. Through the cracks one can see and understand Hamann's work through Berlin's lucid and warm style. I loved this book, even though the one or two notes about how he led to Kafka, surrealism, and Nazism, were not well thought-out.

Berlin's Judaism, and the whole Luther to Hitler idea, seem to have allowed from some not very well critiqued notions. Hamann knew Hebrew very well, and has many many positive things to say about the OT. But Berlin couldn't help but give him a whack.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down in spite of its flaws.

Read the delightful and uplifting book about J.G. Hamann called, "J.G. Hamann: A Study in Christian Existentialism" written by Ronald Gregor Smith. It shows the real man behind the mystery and the beauty of his faith in Christ. This book is not worth the time or struggle to get through the author's most lengthy discourse about absurd and ludicrous associations between what Hamann wrote and the Nazi oppressors!