Why was mythology of vital importance for the romantics? What role did mythology play in their philosophical and literary work? And what common sources of influence inspired these writers across Britain and Germany at the turn of the nineteenth century?

In this wide-ranging study, Owen Ware argues that the romantics turned to mythology for its potential to transform how we see ourselves, others, and the world. Engaging with authors such as William Blake, Friedrich Schlegel, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), and Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ware shows why they believed that neither perception nor reason alone can sustain a vision of the unity of all things. A new mode of cognition is necessary, they claimed, one that revives the poetic origin of mythology and reveals our own mythmaking powers. Return of the Gods investigates the rise of mythology in the British and German traditions and the romantics’ practices of reinterpreting old myths and inventing new ones. Their shared aim was nothing less than to elevate the human imagination to higher stages of self-development in which philosophy and poetry, as well as intellect and imagination, form an integrated whole. Far from calling us to return to the past, the romantics’ work on mythology points us to a future where we can live in harmony with the personal, social, and natural worlds we inhabit.

Owen Ware combines intellectual history with philosophical analysis and literary criticism to offer a bold reflection on why mythology mattered for the romantics—and why it still matters today. 

Reviews

"Owen Ware's interpretation of the complex texts of the romantic era is rich with literary as well as philosophical insights. It succeeds magnificently in its objective of showing how deeply intertwined the traditions of British and German romanticism were at the turn of the nineteenth century. For readers of all kinds seeking a concise account of the philosophical significance of early romanticism, Ware’s lucid and well-researched book is an invaluable guide.”—Karl Ameriks, University of Notre Dame

"Owen Ware has authored a first-rate study of the major romantics, both British and German, which combines clarity and accessibility with impressive erudition. Ware shows how these remarkable writers and thinkers shared a concern for the fragmented nature of the modern self and likewise engaged in attempts to articulate new pathways toward reunification and wholeness. He brilliantly succeeds in revealing the creative power and philosophical depth at work in the romantics’ quest for a ‘new mythology.’ This book is full of fresh insights into familiar texts, which are handled with sensitivity and insight.  Ware has not only done justice to his subjects; he has gifted us with an opportunity to rediscover the richness of their artistic and philosophical visions in our own era of fragmentation."—Benjamin D. Crowe, Boston University

"This fascinating new book draws attention to the way that a revival of myth operates in both British and German romanticism. It is novel both in its treatment of the shared sources and interplay between British and German romanticism, as well as in the fluidity with which Ware moves between the philosophical-theoretical and the literary-artistic aspects of romanticism. While Ware focuses on the romantic movement, he does so in a way that illuminates its relevance to the broader post-Kantian context. This book thereby opens up a new direction for scholarship, one that is attentive to the way that renewed interest in classical art, poetry, and philosophy informs this period in rich and heretofore underexplored ways."—Naomi Fisher, Loyola University Chicago

"Return of the Gods is an uncommonly comprehensive genealogy of romanticism drawing on both its German and its British lineages. While Ware’s renowned work on Kant and German idealism informs his turn to German romanticism, his latest book does the double service of ensuring that an updated story of the revolutionary works of Hölderlin, Novalis, Schelling, Schiller, and the Schlegel brothers includes that of Blake, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, and Wordsworth. Ware provides an informative account of the German and British romantics’ shared goal of a new mythology capable of refocusing modern pictures of humanity so as to reveal our unity with nature, each other, and ourselves. Ware’s book will serve as essential reading for those interested in the lasting significance of romanticism."—Anthony Bruno, Royal Holloway University of London

"Not only does Ware trace the philosophical and romantic ideas of Novalis, Schiller, and Schlegel, he also gives his reader access to Schelling's early and late forms of romantic philosophy. Return of the Gods does an excellent job of overlapping the similarities between British and German romanticism while also keeping a steady anchor in the world of the present. A remarkable project, and a book that will be cited and read for years to come.”—Christopher Satoor, York University

"Return of the Gods is a significant scholarly achievement which deepens and expands our knowledge of the intellectual context of the Romantic turn to myth… Ware’s impressively researched and sharply focused book will be a valuable resource for scholars of the history of European philosophy and literature, as well as those interested in religion, aesthetics, and poetics.” — W. Ezekiel Goggin, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Symphilosophie

"Owen Ware has written a lively, engaging, erudite, and ambitious book on the place of myth, mythology, and myth-making in late 18th and early 19th century romantic philosophy, literature, and poetry. Ambitious, first, because of its coverage. There are useful volumes devoted to religion and myth in German romanticism. There are illuminating monographs dedicated to the same in British poets from the period. And some scholars have wrestled admirably with both. But Return of the Gods is the first book in English to offer a coherent and detailed philosophical account of the mythological imagination in German and British romantic traditions, with a diverse cast of characters and modes of writing in view, and in a way that aspires to do justice to both the philosophy and the poetry. — James D. Reid, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Journal of Aesthetics and Phenomenology 

“Ware’s book is a real achievement. At once addressing lacunae in scholarship and offering a global perspective on Romanticism, it will be of immense benefit to the scholar and the general reader.” 

—Gregory S. Moss, Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Review of Metaphysics

“Owen Ware’s study is exemplary in terms of its clarity and the breadth of literature taken in consideration. Because of this, and because of the pivotal role of the chosen subject, Return of the Gods will be an essential resource for any scholar wishing to take their first steps in discovering British and German Romantic philosophy.”

—Giulia Valpione, Università degli Studi di Padova, British Journal of the History of Philosophy

“Return of the Gods …. reflects a perfect marriage of sensibilities of a philosopher and a poet that the subject matter of this book demands, and that the age of romanticism had beautifully accomplished.”

—Anusha Hegde, Chandigarh University, Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics

"Return of the Gods should spark discussions on the value of mythology to Romantic thought in both traditions."—Robert Bledsoe, Augusta University, Choice

From the UTM News Room: Owen Ware has long been interested in understanding the conditions needed for humans to develop moral character. He explains that the Romantics believed the modern experience was really one of fragmentation — and that the problems they faced are the same ones many of us are experiencing today. READ MORE HERE.

From the OUP Blog: Many of us feel disconnected, from ourselves, from others, from nature. We feel fragmented. But where are we to find a cure to our fragmentation? And how can we satisfy our longing for wholeness? The German and British romantics had a surprising answer: through mythology. READ MORE HERE.

From the Young Idealist Podcast: Christopher Satoor and I talk about a range of issues in romantic philosophy and literature, from poetry to the search for wholeness in an age of fragmentation. This is for his Young Idealist podcast on YouTube. SEE VIDEO HERE.

This book sheds new light on the fascinating—at times dark and at times hopeful—reception of classical Yoga philosophies in Germany during the nineteenth century.

When debates over God, religion, and morality were at a boiling point in Europe, Sanskrit translations of classical Indian thought became available for the first time. Almost overnight India became the centre of a major controversy concerning the origins of western religious and intellectual culture. Working forward from this controversy, this book examines how early translations of works such as the Bhagavad Gītā and the Yoga Sūtras were caught in the crossfire of another debate concerning the rise of pantheism, as a doctrine that identifies God and nature. It shows how these theological concerns shaped the image of Indian thought in the work of Schlegel, Günderrode, Humboldt, Hegel, Schelling, and others, lasting into the nineteenth century and beyond. Furthermore, this book explores how worries about the perceived nihilism of Yoga were addressed by key voices in the early twentieth century Indian Renaissance—notably Dasgupta, Radhakrishnan, and Bhattacharyya—who defended sophisticated counter-readings of their intellectual heritage during the colonial era.

Written for non-specialists, Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany will be of interest to students and scholars working on nineteenth-century philosophy, Indian philosophy, comparative philosophy, Hindu studies, intellectual history, and religious history.

Reviews

"Owen Ware’s Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany is a very fine piece of scholarship. It adds significantly to our understanding not only of the specific topic expressed in its title, but also of wider European attitudes towards Indian thought, as well as debates about pantheism, a metaphysical position that challenged Christian orthodoxy... This book provides a rich and highly informative analysis of the varying readings of Yoga philosophy over the time period it covers, detailing their relations to one another as well as the sympathies and biases of their authors. It is a valuable contribution to a properly globalized history of ideas, as well as to the study of Yoga and Indian philosophy in themselves… I highly recommend this book for historians of German philosophy; scholars of Indian philosophy with an interest in European receptions; and anyone engaged with cross-cultural dialogues on Yoga philosophy and/or pantheism as a metaphysical and theological position."

—Sonia Sikka, University of Ottawa, Hegel Bulletin

“Ware presents a meticulous and compelling study of the nineteenth-and early twentieth-century encounters between German post-Kantian thought and classical Indian philosophy... Ware’s strengths lie in his erudite synthesis of intellectual history, close textual readings, and ability to interlace European and Indian voices into a coherent dialogue. His framing of Romantic engagements with Indian pantheism as part of a search for a 'new religion' is particularly insightful.” —Tianji Ma, Institute for Evangelical Missiology, Religious Studies Review

"Much of the material discussed in Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany was previously tucked away in obscure scholarly corners. By bringing to light a cross-cultural conversation spanning nearly two centuries, Owen Ware’s indispensable study corrects, enriches and perhaps even transforms the familiar picture of our philosophical inheritance." —Clare Carlisle, King's College London, Times Literary Supplement  

“Owen Ware’s book provides a careful and deliberate analysis of one early period of cross-cultural philosophy, namely, the first reception of classical Indian philosophy by the early German Romantics … Ware has done a great service for anyone interested in ‘comparative’ or ‘global’ philosophy. The book is chock-full of wonderful discoveries and details seldom worked on … Ware’s book opens many doors that invite the curious philosopher to step through for new encounters.”—Alexander T. Englert, University of Richmond, Journal of the History of Philosophy

"Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany is a compelling book because it demonstrates the point that much of nineteenth-century European philosophy was constructed on the back of Indian philosophy and because it discusses Modern Indian Philosophy, which is often ignored in Anglophone academia. This intellectual history therefore lends more evidence to important endeavours to globalise philosophy and to put yoga philosophy on the academic map.”—Karen O’Brien-Kop, King’s College London, Journal of Religious History

"Indian Philosophy and Yoga in Germany is an outstanding and highly recommended book, which engages both the history of philosophy and comparative philosophy . . . highly recommended text for upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars."—Rick Elmore,  Appalachian State University, Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy

"Owen Ware's instructive and at times even entertaining study of the reception of Yoga philosophy in nineteenth century Germany is a valuable contribution to current attempts to look beyond overly narrow constructions of the philosophical canon. And the final chapter, which addresses the early twentieth century Calcutta philosophers is an important addition to the study of world philosophies."—Robert Bernasconi, Penn State University

"The monolithic civilizational narrative of 'Western philosophy' is undergoing serious critical reflection, and Owen Ware builds on existing scholarship and offers further revision in this study. Following 'yoga' down its pathways in post-Enlightenment German philosophy, Ware offers an accessible account of the cross-cultural anxiety of influence that lingers in modern philosophy, and—even more importantly—an account of the South Asian intellectuals who came to know this narrative and answered in no uncertain terms."—Bradley L. Herling, Marymount Manhattan College

Kant’s early critics maintained that his theory of freedom faces a dilemma: either it reduces the will’s activity to strict necessity by making it subject to the causality of the moral law, or it reduces the will’s activity to blind chance by liberating it from rules of any kind. This Element offers a new interpretation of Kant’s theory against the backdrop of this controversy. It argues that Kant was a consistent proponent of the claim that the moral law is the causal law of a free will, and that the supposed ability of free will to choose indifferently between options is an empty concept. Freedom, for Kant, is a power to initiate action from oneself, and the only way to exercise this power is through the law of one’s own will, the moral law. Immoral action is not thereby rendered impossible, but it also does not express a genuine ability.

“…this concise Element is quite a thought-provoking contribution to the ever-intensifying literature on Kant’s theory of freedom. The challenge it takes on is serious, and it helps our grasp of the philosophical nuances of Kant’s theory of freedom and why it excited so much interest and controversy both at his own time and today.”—Uygar Abaci, Pennsylvania State University, Kantian Review

Kant's arguments for the reality of human freedom and the normativity of the moral law continue to inspire work in contemporary moral philosophy. Many prominent ethicists invoke Kant, directly or indirectly, in their efforts to derive the authority of moral requirements from a more basic conception of action, agency, or rationality. But many commentators have detected a deep rift between the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason, leaving Kant's project of justification exposed to conflicting assessments and interpretations. In this ground-breaking study of Kant, Owen Ware defends the controversial view that Kant's mature writings on ethics share a unified commitment to the moral law's primacy. Using both close analysis and historical contextualization, Owen Ware overturns a paradigmatic way of reading Kant's arguments for morality and freedom, situating them within Kant's critical methodology at large. The result is a novel understanding of Kant that challenges much of what goes under the banner of Kantian arguments for moral normativity today.

Reviews

Kant’s Justifications of Ethics is mandatory reading for anyone who seeks to understand the argument structure and metaethical commitments of Kant’s foundational moral theory. But it will also be of interest to anyone who wonders what we, as human beings, can legitimately expect from moral philosophy, and indeed philosophy in general ... . Ware’s overarching picture of Kant’s justificatory ambitions and strategies is informative and compelling.”—Janis David Schaab, Utrecht University, Kant Studien

"Ware’s Kant’s Justification of Ethics contains valuable contributions to many debates about the foundations of Kant’s ethical project. As such, it will be essential reading for anyone interested in the foundations of Kant’s ethics.”—Karl Schafer, University of Texas, Philosophical Quarterly

"Owen Ware has given us a suggestive reading of Kant’s moral program, one that anyone interested in that program will have to engage.”—Karl von der Luft, University of Chicago, Journal of Moral Philosophy

Owen Ware’s Kant’s Justification of Ethics is an “impressively researched, wide-ranging, and ground-clearing book.”—Jessica Tizzard, University Tübingen, Studi Kantiani

“Ware's work is excellent... [This book] continues the tradition of adding value to Kant scholarship by discussing Kant’s methods and aims.”—Martin Sticker, University of Bristol, Kantian Review

“Kant’s Justification of Ethics can be seen as a substantial work on Kant’s practical philosophy that at various points provides a fresh look at Kant’s arguments for human freedom and moral normativity.”—Steffi Schadow, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie

“Owen Ware’s Kant’s Justification of Ethics is certainly a worthwhile read for scholars of Kant and normative ethics as well as advanced students of Kant’s practical philosophy. Well-written, conceptually strong, and clearly organized, Ware’s book manages to accomplish a great deal in terms of novel Kantian scholarship while at the same time constituting a useful general guidebook to the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, the Critique of Practical Reason, and to the philosophical task of justifying morality’s bindingness on us.”—Olga Lenczewska, University of North Carolina, British Journal for the History of Philosophy

Kant’s Justification of Ethics and Fichte’s Moral Philosophy are “chockful of stimulating interpretive theses, supported by outstanding scholarship and argument. To all interested in their topics, I highly recommend these books, each individually, but especially together.” —William F. Bristow, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, European Journal of Philosophy

Owen Ware here develops and defends a novel interpretation of Fichte's moral philosophy as an ethics of wholeness. While virtually forgotten for most of the twentieth century, Fichte's System of Ethics (1798) is now recognized by scholars as a masterpiece in the history of post-Kantian philosophy, as well as a key text for understanding the work of later German idealist thinkers. This book provides a careful examination of the intellectual context in which Fichte's moral philosophy evolved, and of the specific arguments he offers in response to Kant and his immediate successors. A distinctive feature of this study is a focus on the foundational concepts of Fichte's ethics—freedom, morality, feeling, conscience, community—and their connection to his innovative but largely misunderstood theory of drives. By way of conclusion, the book shows that what appears to be two conflicting commitments in Fichte's ethics—a commitment to the feelings of one's conscience and a commitment to engage in open dialogue with others—are two aspects of his theory of moral perfection. The result is a sharp understanding of Fichte's System of Ethics as offering a compelling resolution to the personal and interpersonal dimensions of moral life.

Reviews

“Fichte’s Moral Philosophy is a major contribution not just to Fichte scholarship but to normative ethical theory as such. Specialists will be impressed by Ware’s meticulous scholarship and familiarity with all the relevant primary and secondary literature, as well as by his judicious engagement with (as well as anticipation of) opposing interpretations of Fichte’s moral philosophy … It is a rare pleasure to encounter a treatise as well written, carefully argued, and broadly informed as this landmark contribution to both Fichte studies and ethical theory.”—Daniel Breazeale, University of Kentucky, Ethics

“Ware’s work dually serves as a clear and engaging exegetical work, that both situates and clarifies the minutiae of Fichte’s moral theory against a rich background of post-Kantian thought, and as an erudite contribution to scholarly interpretation. Fichte’s Moral Philosophy is an exemplar in modern Fichte scholarship whose consequences will, I expect, continue to reverberate for years to come.” —James Ternent, University of Edinburgh, Fichte-Studien

“Owen Ware’s book is impressively multifaceted… This is a splendid study: historically informed, neatly organized, carefully argued, and on many points appreciably innovative… Specialists in Kantian moral philosophy and post- Kantian thought need to read this book; so, too, should anyone interested in conceptually creative, incisive ethical thinking along distinctly post-Kantian (and pre-Hegelian) lines.”—Steven Hoeltzel, James Madison University, MIND

“Owen Ware’s book… is a first-class contribution to the Fichte scholarship… It will be a staple of the conversation on Fichte for years to come.”—Rory Lawrence Phillips, University College London, Philosophy

“This is simply an exceptional book, clearly written and argued and a delight to read. It is required reading for anyone interested in German Idealism or in normative ethics in general.”—Jeffery Kinlaw, McMurry University, Review of Metaphysics

“Ware has opened a line of interpretation that presents a less austere Fichte, a Fichte for whom we are fully embodied and situated in a world. The ethics of wholeness Ware emphasizes will be congenial to many contemporary philosophers. Fichte’s Moral Philosophy should become a key text in coming years, and I look forward to seeing how Fichte scholarship builds upon this work.”—Jane Dryden, Mount Allison University, Symposium

The System of Ethics was published at the height of Fichte's academic career and marks the culmination of his philosophical development in Jena. Much more than a treatise on ethics narrowly construed, the System of Ethics presents a unified synthesis of Fichte's core philosophical ideas, including the principle I-hood, self-activity and self-consciousness, and also contains his most detailed treatment of action and agency. This volume brings together an international group of leading scholars on Fichte, and is the first of its kind in English to offer critical and interpretive perspectives on this work, covering topics such as normativity, belief, justification, desire, duty, and the ethical life. It will be an essential guide for scholars wanting to deepen their understanding of Fichte's ethical thought, as well as for those interested in the history of ethics more broadly.

• Contains ten essays from an international group of leading Fichte scholars

• Sheds light on the path from Kant to Hegel by taking Fichte's largely neglected work seriously

• Contributes to a rising wave of interest in Fichte, especially his ethical thought

Reviews

“One will find in Bacin and Ware’s volume not only an expansion of the possible normative ethical views attributed to Fichte (we can add, for example, moral particularism and normative perfectionism), but also ten well-crafted essays that develop novel and, on the whole, insightful interpretations of Fichte’s System of Ethics.”—Gabriel Gottlieb, Xavier University, Journal of Moral Philosophy