L'illuminismo di Lessing: non solo Selbstdenken

This article aims to do justice to Lessing's complex notion of "Selbstdenken". The latter is usually conceived of as exclusively referring to the individual's ability to pursue truth, which is only partially the case. Lessing in fact supports a pluralistic paradigm of knowledge, which rests on a collaborative effort. Accordingly, each human being can contribute crucially to augmenting cognitions and improving insights, yet cannot do so alone. In other words, everyone is necessary, but no one is enough. In Lessing's eyes, moreover, this choral endeavor is anything but pacific and harmonious; on the contrary, it requires verbal polemic and intellectual fight. Needless to say, this "war of ideas" is indispensable for preventing any real war.