Imagination and Subjectivity: a comparison between Novalis and Hegel

Abstract

In this article I compare the idea of imagination – elaborated by Novalis and Hegel – in relation to the constitution of the subjectivity. After focusing the role that Novalis confers to imagination in the process of romantisieren, I approach the Hegel’s analyse of imagination as moment of the process of subjectivation. Recapping the convergences between Novalis’ erschaffende Einbildungskraft and Hegel’s Phantasie, we can then easily analyse Novalis’ and Hegel’s conceptions of subjectivity, starting with the different role that autors confer to imagination.