No. 68 (2024): Enero - abril
Articles

Mendelssohn’s “Socratic Soul” and Lavater: From Knowledge to Conversion

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  • Pablo Ríos Flores
Pablo Ríos Flores
Universidad de Buenos Aires
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21555/top.v680.2475

Published 2023-12-07

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How to Cite

Ríos Flores, P. (2023). Mendelssohn’s “Socratic Soul” and Lavater: From Knowledge to Conversion. Tópicos, Revista De Filosofía, (68), 243–277. https://doi.org/10.21555/top.v680.2475

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Abstract

On August 25, 1769, Johann Caspar Lavater sent a dedication to Moses Mendelssohn along with the translation of some sections of Charles Bonnet’s La palingénésie philosophique. In this dedication, Lavater challenges Mendelssohn to publicly refute Bonnet’s arguments about the truth of Christianity or, otherwise, do “what Socrates would have done if he had read this work and found it irrefutable.” In his reply to Lavater, Mendelssohn interprets this challenge as a call to conversion. This article aims to analyze how Lavater’s ideals of knowledge and evidence are inextricably linked to his missionary zeal.

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