Law vs. Chaos / Evolution vs. Revolution in A. Stifter’s Works
The article deals with Adalbert Stifter’s reaction to the revolutionary events of 1848, which forced him to reconsider the writer’s role in society. They also led the Austrian author to formulate the basic law of his work (“sanftes Gesetz” Eng. gentle law ) connecting the ethical and the purely scientific approaches to human nature and environment studies. This theory establishes A. Stifter as a humanist, as well as an adversary of the revolutionary upheavals who insists on the paramount importance of moral principles.