This book is the first to investigate the thematics, form, and function of the writings of Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) in light of his multidisciplinary activities.

The term "harmonious tension" stems from the Jewish-German intellectual Moses Mendelssohn, to whom Schiller was indebted. The central symbol for the tension-killed integration of literature, physiology, philosophy, history, and music in Schiller's oeuvre is the stringed instrument. Schiller's knowledge of the problems of rupture, dissociation, and disintegration marking modern history both before and after the French Revolution inform the vast majority of his works.

The writer's conscious awareness of the limits of his own theorizing works against the popular image of Schiller as an idealist.

Responsive to the debate on canon formation as well as to the impact of New Historicism, this study examines not only most of Schiller's major writings, but also some of the lesser-known works from the beginning to the end of the author's career. The study reflects these writings back to the larger cultural contexts in which they were written while remaining responsive to the developments and changes in Schiller's perspective as a writer.