THE DISCIPLES AT SAIS

Embark on a fascinating journey into the depths of Novalis' romantic thought, one of the most important creators of German Romanticism. In this volume, collected and translated by Jerzy Prokopiuk, you will find the essence of the work of this extraordinary poet, philosopher, and mystic. Immerse yourself in the world of symphilosophizing, where science, art, and religion intertwine into a harmonious whole.

• Excellent translation by Jerzy Prokopiuk
• Selection of the most important fragments from Novalis' work
• Inspiring synthesis of science, art, and religion
• Insight into the inner world of the self and ideal consciousness
• Magical idealism permeated with poetic fantasy
• Romanticizing the world in search of the original meaning
• Understanding nature as a creative force

Novalis, actually Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772-1801), was an extremely versatile figure. A student of Schiller, influenced by Goethe's work, he charted his own unique paths of thought. His interest in a new method of thinking, symphilosophizing, aimed to combine science, art, and religion into one coherent whole. Novalis directed his gaze towards the inner world of the self, towards the potential ideal consciousness, which led him to create his own worldview based on self-knowledge, which he called idealism.

Novalis' idealism, however, was of a special kind – a magical idealism, permeated with poetic fantasy. Fantasy, in his understanding, was a non-mechanical force, a result of pure thoughts, images, and feelings that are not awakened by a corresponding object, but arise outside the so-called mechanical laws. Therefore, Novalis spoke of magism, the synthesis of fantasy. In his philosophy, philosophy appears as a completely magical idealism.

As Jerzy Prokopiuk writes, the main idea of The Disciples at Sais is the postulate of understanding nature as a creative force. Novalis believed that by romanticizing the world, giving ordinary things a higher meaning, giving ordinary things a mysterious appearance, giving known things the dignity of unknown things, and giving finite things the appearance of infinity, we can find its original meaning. This romanticizing, in his view, is the key to understanding the world and existence.

The 2025 edition of vis-a-vis Etiuda is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Novalis' thought. The book has 400 pages and a format of 194x128 mm, it is paperback, which makes it ideal for reading on the go or in the quiet of your own home. Let yourself be carried away by this extraordinary reading and rediscover the beauty of romantic philosophy.