Moses Mendelssohn: Band 5,1: Rezensionsartikel in ›Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend‹ (1759–1765)

An introductory study of the history of the origins and the impact of the ›Briefe, die neueste Litteratur betreffend‹ (Letters concerning the Most Recent Literature) is followed by the text of Mendelssohn’s contributions and a list of the authors dealt with and the letters. Mendelssohn wrote more than one third of these, approximately 120. In these works, which have scarcely been annotated up to now, he had a large influence on the dissemination and the improvement of contemporary knowledge. He drew attention to about 140 authors, and in some cases – such as for example Hamann, Kant and Boscovich – was one of the first to do so. As a result of the many subjects he dealt with (the history of philosophy, differential and integral calculus, metaphysics, aesthetics, evolution, microscopy, natural law and the laws of nature, political science, linguistics, biblical scholarship, European literature) he had extensive discussions with Abbt, Kant, Lessing, Michaelis, Sulzer and primarily with Hamann, who had a considerable influence on Mendelssohn.