Professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago. Author of Hegel's Idea of a Phenomenology of Spirit (Chicago, 1998)

'This volume of translations of Herder's philosophical writings, many of which have never before been translated, is an important step in making herder accessible to readers who do not know German. Recommended.' Choice

• Introduction; Chronology; Further reading; Note on the texts and translation; Part I. General Philosophical Program: 1. How philosophy can become more universal and useful for the benefit of the people (1765); Part II. Philosophy of Language: 2. Fragments on recent German literature (1767–8); 3. Treatise on the origin of language (1772); Part III. Philosophy of Mind: 4. On Thomas Abbt's writings (1768); 5. On cognition and sensation, the two main forces of the human soul; 6. On the cognition and sensation, the two main forces of the human soul (1775); Part IV. Philosophy of History: 7. On the change of taste (1766); 8. Older critical forestlet (1767/8); 9. This too a philosophy of history for the formation of humanity (1774); Part V. Political Philosophy: 10. Letters concerning the progress of humanity (1792); 11. Letters for the advancement of humanity (1793–7); Index.