Sentimentalism is a literary style that focuses on emotions rather than reason. It appears in different forms, such as sentimental poetry, novels, and the German music movement called Empfindsamkeit. This style became popular in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment, partly because of ideas in philosophy. In 18th-century England, the sentimental novel was a major type of writing. It started in England between 1730 and 1780 during the high Enlightenment and later spread to other European countries. The ideas behind this genre came mainly from Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, who was a student of John Locke.

Philosophical influences

It can be difficult to tell the difference between sentimentalism in philosophy and sentimentalism in literature. As philosophical ideas grew, literature began to copy these ideas by showing them through stories and characters. Because of this, it is common to see both philosophical and literary movements happening at the same time.

Philosophically, sentimentalism was often compared to rationalism. While eighteenth-century rationalism focused on using the mind's ability to think and analyze as the way to find truth, sentimentalism relied on the natural human ability to feel and how this leads to truth. For sentimentalists, this ability was most important in understanding morality (known as moral sense theory). Sentimentalists argued that while rationalists believed morality came from logical rules (such as Immanuel Kant's "Categorical Imperative"), these rules did not match how humans actually feel—such as seeing a sad image or showing strong emotions. Because of this, sentimentalists believed it was hard to create a strong moral theory based only on logic. However, by improving the ability to feel and understand emotions, people could build a strong moral theory based on the natural human nature that everyone shares. Because of this, sentimentalists were often linked to the ideas of humanism and empirical ethical intuitionism.

Characteristics

Sentimentalism believed that showing too much emotion was not a weakness but showed someone was moral. It began with religiously inspired empathy and grew to include other feelings, such as sensual love. Sensual love was no longer seen as harmful but as a foundation for social groups, as shown in the work of Antoine Houdar de la Motte. Mutual love, like in serious operas, was viewed as a symbol of successful partnerships between nations. The term "Lesesucht" changed what was considered acceptable in literature, especially how novels compared to plays.

Around the middle of the century, sentimentalism contrasted "untouched" nature with (courtly) civilization, as seen in the works of Jean Jacques Rousseau. Additionally, Samuel Richardson’s sentimental novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) had a major influence on literature.

Literary works often included scenes of sadness and kindness, with stories designed to highlight emotions rather than action. This led to a focus on "fine feeling," showing characters as examples of refined, moral, and emotional behavior. Sentimentalism in literature also allowed authors to share their own messages, asking readers to care about the issues in their books.

For example, in Laurence Sterne’s novel A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, the narrator uses the character Yorick to question the rules of morality, whether based on emotion or reason. Early in the book, Yorick meets a monk and refuses to give him even a small amount of money. He feels upset when he ignores what he thinks he should do, even though he follows what seems like better reasoning. He argues against the power of emotions, claiming they are hard to understand. However, his conscience feels guilty after the monk leaves without money. Yorick realizes he acted poorly, even though he followed his logical reasoning. His emotional nature tells him he did something wrong.

Empfindsamkeit

In continental Europe, one part of sentimentalism was called Empfindsamkeit. This musical style, known as the "sensitive style" in German (empfindsamer Stil), developed in Germany. It aimed to show real and natural emotions, unlike the more complex and dramatic style of the baroque period.

The beginnings of sentimentalism in this context were mainly religious. Music and songs (lieder) by Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, which had strong emotional expressions, were typical examples. Empfindsamkeit was also called secularized pietism because it often included moral lessons that were no longer closely tied to religious institutions. A key thinker of the movement was Jean Baptiste Dubos.

Johann Christoph Bode, a musician and publisher, translated Laurence Sterne’s book A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy into German in 1768. The German title was Yoriks empfindsame Reise. This translation was very popular. Bode’s use of the word "empfindsam" (meaning "sensitive") became linked to Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and the entire literary period.

German poets who were influenced by sentimentalism included Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1724–1803), Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715–1769), and Sophie de La Roche (1730–1807), who wrote the first epistolary novel in German. The influence of sentimentalism can also be seen in Goethe’s early work Die Leiden des jungen Werthers (1774), which is a major example of the Sturm und Drang movement. Meta Klopstock’s writing has also been connected to this movement.

Religious sentimentalism inspired François-René de Chateaubriand, who helped create Romanticism, a literary style that appeared later in the eighteenth century. In popular literature, Empfindsamkeit was a common genre that lasted into the nineteenth century. It appeared in serialized novels in publications like Gartenlaube. In theatre, Empfindsamkeit was followed by a genre called rührstück, or melodrama.