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The Influence of the Enlightenment on German Thought
Before the Stömmer and Ränger's come along, you've given us the Enlightenment. So what grip did that Enlightenment thought have on German thinkers in German life before the 1770s? I would say that in Germany, of course, you have particularism. It's politically divided into 300-some-odd little fiefdoms ruled by dukes and land graves. There is no national unity, and the idea that you can have a unified German culture will eventually lead to a national unity is older than the 18th century. And that is what will create a great German literature based on either ancient Greek or French classical models.