1992 0-7734-9540-1 This study expands the body of knowledge on Goethe's understanding of war by linking his particular portrayals of war to larger intellectual and aesthetic concerns, including the nature of individual development, the organization of human society, the efficacy of human activity, and the impact of transcendent forces. Based on the analytical techniques developed by Frenzel, Luthi, Ziolkowski and Daemmrich, it provides an amplification of earlier, exclusively historical analyses, through a consideration of the thematic dynamics of specific literary texts. This work delineates Goethe's philosophical position on war and illuminates the forms of its representation. It should be of interest to Goethe scholars, those engaged in motif studies, and in peace studies.