Gotthold Ephraim Lessing





Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Author profile


born
January 22, 1729 in Kamenz (Sachsen), Germany

died
February 15, 1781

gender
male


About this author

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature. He is widely considered by theatre historians to be the first dramaturg.

Lessing was born in Kamenz, a small town in Saxony. His father was a clergyman and the author of theological writings. After visiting Latin School in Kamenz (from 1737 onwards) and the Fürstenschule St. Afra in Meissen (from 1741 onwards) he studied theology and medicine in Leipzig (1746–1748).

From 1748 to 1760 he lived in Leipzig and Berlin and worked as reviewer and e...more


Average rating: 3.30 · 2,240 ratings · 77 reviews · 186 distinct works
Nathan der Weise
3.45 of 5 stars 3.45 avg rating — 1,130 ratings — published 1779 — 76 editions
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Emilia Galotti
3.03 of 5 stars 3.03 avg rating — 649 ratings — published 1772 — 54 editions
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Minna von Barnhelm
3.04 of 5 stars 3.04 avg rating — 167 ratings — published 1767 — 47 editions
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Laocoon: An Essay on the Li...
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3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 80 ratings — published 1 — 38 editions
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Miss Sara Sampson
3.21 of 5 stars 3.21 avg rating — 63 ratings — published 1977 — 6 editions
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Nathan the Wise, Minna Von ...
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3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 32 ratings2 editions
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Die Juden. Ein Lustspiel in...
2.79 of 5 stars 2.79 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 1981 — 6 editions
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Hamburgische Dramaturgie
4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1981 — 11 editions
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Lessing's Theological Writings
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3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1956
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Der junge Gelehrte (Reclam ...
2.69 of 5 stars 2.69 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1986 — 4 editions
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More books by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing…
“The true value of man is not determined by his possession, supposed or real, of Truth, but rather by his sincere exertion to get to the Truth. It is not possession of Truth by which he extends his powers and in which his ever-growing perfectability is to be found. Possession makes one passive, indolent and proud. If God were to hold all Truth concealed in his right hand, and in his left only the steady and diligent drive for Truth, albeit with the proviso that I would always and forever err in the process, and to offer me the choice, I would with all humility take the left hand. ”
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

“If some things don't make you lose your sense of reason, then you have none to lose.”
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

“For me the greatest beauty always lies in the greatest clarity.”
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

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