Lessing And German Enlightenment

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, who was considered as "German Voltaire", was the most outstanding German representative of the Enlightenment. He played a significant role in the movement and pushed on it to its climax.German Enlightenment in eighteenth-century took place against a special background and then Germany had not been united so the prime aim of the movement at that time was not to prepare for a political revolution as France but to promote an establishment of the unified German nation. The essay attempts to study systematically Lessing's Enlighten thought and acts in the movement and to find out the characters of German Enlightenment which conversely reflected on Lessing's thought.Compared with other capitalist nations' in western Europe, German Enlightenment had its own distinguish traits. Lessing's thoughts and acts were revolved around the task to establish a unified nation. For a long time, French civilization extensively invaded Germany and blew an upsurge of French civilization, which Lessing violently opposed at that time. In his literary and dramatic works, Lessing expressed the thoughts to Enlighten and foster the national sprit and even to set up an integral national civilization; what's more, he opposed the feudal separationist rule with his ideal of Kosmopolitismus. At that time, after succeeding and developing European humanist tradition, Lessing formed his religious philosophy and religious tolerance, with his rational opinion, he deepened the profundity of German Enlightenment. Furthermore, he created townspeople's drama and advocated the realistic aesthetics. On the one hand, he praised their disposition and expressed their political desire and class interest, which made the townspeople as a new motive force to the German Enlightenment. In addition, Lessing's Enlighten. thoughts greatly influenced the following movement—Sturm Und Drang. The essence of Lessing's thoughts is our common valuable prosperity.In a word. Germany then greatly needed a person like Lessing, and Lessing was the child of German Enlightenment. He complied the trend of epoch and undertook the mission given by German Enlightenment. Lessing's enlighten thought and activities reflected the features of the Campaign.