Johann Gottfried Herder Biography

Johann Gottfried Herder was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic whose work bridged the Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and Weimar Classicism. His 1772 publication, 'Treatise on the Origin of Language,' significantly advanced his advocacy for linguistic expression. In this work, Herder laid the groundwork for comparative philology, aligning it with emerging political perspectives and establishing language as a fundamental element of national identity and thought.