Historical rhapsody: Citation and pseudo-citation in Herder's Auch eine Philosophie der Geschichte zur Bildung der Menschheit

Abstract

Studies of Johann Gottfried Herder's style have neglected to discuss his often baffling use of citations. This article seeks to remedy that absence with close attention to particularly rich examples of his citational practice in Auch eine Philosophie der Geschichte zur Bildung der Menschheit. The article suggests that Herder's use of citations creates a polyphonic text that reflects a polyphonic vision of history. Through close attention to select examples of Herder's citations and his manipulations of source material, the article demonstrates that Herder's citational practice may have more design than at first appears. Herder's text proves to be, at least in part, a rhapsodic stitching-together of dispersed voices, gathered under a thematic of intra-textual conversation.