Coleridge and the Crisis of Reason - Introduction

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Scholarly study of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s engagement with Spinoza and the pantheism controversy, framed as a crisis of reason. The work examines how “influence” can be understood hermeneutically, and traces Coleridge’s evolving responses across early poetry, metaphysical debates, and later transcendental reasoning. Chapters address themes of infinity, God, freedom, evil, and providential failure, while analyzing transformations of “reason” by figures such as Jacobi, Mendelssohn, and Schelling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages244

Reading Time6 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Note on Quotations from MSS

Introduction

A critique of McFarland’s Coleridge and the Pantheist Tradition

Understanding understanding: An hermeneutic approach to ‘influence’

Part I Coleridge and Spinoza

Silence and the Pantheistic Sublime in Coleridge’s Early Poetry

Spinoza and the Problem of the Infinite

The Providential Wreck: Coleridge and Spinoza’s Metaphysics

Part II Coleridge and the Pantheism Controversy

Understanding the Pantheism Controversy

Reading under a Warp: Coleridge and Jacobi’s Transformations of ‘Reason’

Coleridge, Mendelssohn and the Defence of Reason

Coleridge and Schelling: The Seductions of Ideal Pantheism

Part III The Pantheism Controversy in Coleridge’s Later Thought

The Anxiety of Pantheism: Hidden Dimensions of Coleridge’s Transcendental Deduction

Coleridge’s Trinity: The Defence of Immanence

Reason, Understanding and Truth

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Coleridge and the Crisis of Reason Richard Berkeley Coleridge and the Crisis of Reason This page intentionally left blank Coleridge and the Crisis of Reason Richard Berkeley © Richard Berkeley 2007 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identiﬁed as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2007 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan􀀂 is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN-13: 978􀀃0􀀃230􀀃52164􀀃3 hardback ISBN-10: 0􀀃230􀀃52164􀀃9 hardback This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Berkeley, Richard, 1971􀀃 Coleridge and the crisis of reason/Richard Berkeley. [p. cm](p. cm). Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978􀀃0􀀃230􀀃52164􀀃3 ISBN-10: 0􀀃230􀀃52164􀀃9 (cloth) 1. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772􀀃1834“Philosophy. 2. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772􀀃1834“Knowledge“Pantheism. 3. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772􀀃1834“Knowledge“Philosophy, German. 4. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772􀀃1834“Religion. 5. Pantheism in literature. 6. Pantheism. I. Title. B1583.Z7 B47 [PR4487.P5] 821􀀂 . 7“dc22 2007060024 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne Vergieb mir daß ich so gerne schweige wenn von einem göttlichen Wesen die Rede ist, das ich nur in und aus den rebus singularibuserkenne, zu deren nähern und tiefern Betrachtung niemand mehr aufmuntern kann als Spinoza selbst, obgleich vor seinem Blicke alleeinzelne Dinge zu verschwinden scheinen. – Goethe an Jacobi, 9 June 1785 Wie die Sonne am Firmament alle Himmelslichter auslöscht, so und noch viel mehr die unendliche Machtjede endliche. – Schelling SW VII 339 For a very long time I could not reconcile personality with infinity; and my head was with Spinoza, though my whole heart remained with Paul and John. – Coleridge BL I 201 This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgements x List of Abbreviations xi Note on Quotations from MSS xii Introduction 1 A critique of McFarland’s Coleridge and the Pantheist Tradition 2 Understanding understanding: An hermeneutic approach to‘influence’ 6 Part I Coleridge and Spinoza 1 Silence and the Pantheistic Sublime in Coleridge’s Early Poetry 15 2 Spinoza and the Problem of the Infinite 24 Infinity 26 God 32 Freedom 34 Evil 35 3 The Providential Wreck: Coleridge and Spinoza’s Metaphysics 38 Coleridge’s understanding of Spinoza 39 Coleridge’s critique of Spinoza’s metaphysics 47 Coleridge and Spinoza: A providential reading 55 Part II Coleridge and the Pantheism Controversy 4 Understan

FAQs

What is the central focus of the book?

The book focuses on Coleridge’s engagement with Spinoza and the pantheism controversy, presented as a crisis of reason and explored through multiple stages of Coleridge’s thought.

How does the introduction approach the concept of influence?

The introduction uses a hermeneutic approach to understand “influence,” framing how Coleridge’s reception and transformations of ideas should be read.

Which philosophers are discussed alongside Coleridge and Spinoza?

The contents include sections on McFarland’s work and on figures such as Jacobi, Mendelssohn, and Schelling, particularly regarding transformations or defences connected to reason and pantheism.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana