Autobiography and Natural Science in the Age of Romanticism

Bernhard Kuhn's study uncovers a fundamental connection between the autobiographies and scientific writings of Rousseau, Goethe, and Thoreau that refutes the now entrenched thesis of the 'two cultures.' As he examines these three representative writers, Kuhn reveals the scientific character of autobiographical writing while demonstrating the autobiographical nature of natural science. An unfolding drama emerges, in which Romantic Period writers are seen preserving what modern culture is determined to break apart.