George Henry Lewes

George Henry Lewes ( born April 18, 1817 in London, † November 28, 1878 ) was an English writer, literary critic and philosopher.

Family

George Henry Lewes - illegitimate child of the poet John Lee and Elizabeth Ashweek - was a grandson of actor Charles Lee Lewes. His mother married a former captain in 1823. 1841 George Henry Lewes and Agnes joined Jervis marriage, came from the three children. 1851 Lewes learned the Victorian author Mary Ann Evans ( pseudonym George Eliot ) know. Since 1854 the couple lived with toleration of wife Agnes Lewes in a partnership.

Life

Due to the frequent change of residence Lewes went to London, Jersey, Brittany and Greenwich to school. After unsuccessful attempts at commercial or medical career Lewes thought of a career as an actor. Between 1841 and 1850 he also graduated actually made ​​some appearances. Thereafter he devoted himself to literature, science and philosophy.

Already since 1836 Lewes was a member of a club whose members occupied themselves with philosophical issues. Here he designed a study of the philosophy of the Scottish school. In 1838 he went to Germany with the intention to study philosophy. Instead, he set out with the German literature, but particularly familiar with the work of Goethe. 1839 Lewes returned back to England, where he worked on various magazines and made ​​a name as a dramatist, biographer and natural philosopher. Between 1849 and 1854 he edited himself the literary magazine " Leader".

The highlight in Lewes ' literary work, the biographical work "The Life of Goethe " (1855 ) is considered, which appeared in German translation by Julius Frese 1857., His fascination with the natural sciences came in various publications to express in which he with it the busy lives of marine animals or the history of the biological sciences since Aristotle. Starting 1865, Lewes editor of the Fortnightly reviews, however these items retained only two years to be able to then dedicate his philosophical studies. their main result was the five -volume work problems of life and Mind.

Works

• The Life and Works of Goethe. Sketches of His Age and Contemporaries, from Published and Unpublished Sources. 2 vols. David Nutt, London in 1855. German edition: Goethe 's life and writings. With the approval of the author translated by Julius Frese (Bremen). Duncker, Berlin 1857.

• German edition: Nature studies on Seestrande. Coast Images from Devonshire, the Isles of Scilly and Jersey. Translated by Julius Frese (Bremen). Duncker, Berlin, 1859.