Family Name: Garve
First Name: Christian
Birth Date: Fri, Jan 05, 1742
Birth Place: Breslau
Death Date: Thu, Nov 29, 1798
Death Place: Wrocław
Main places of activity:
Place From To
Leipzig 1765 1766
Place From To
Breslau 1766 1767
Place From To
Leipzig 1767 1771
Personal info:
Education

Garve was educated primarily by his mother, who gave him a love for science and poetry.

In 1762, he went to Frankfurt on the Oder to attend the university, but after Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten's death the same year Garve moved to Halle, where he studied philosophy and mathematics and obtained his Master's degree. From 1766 he continued his studies in Leipzig under the guidance of Christian Fürchtegott Gellert and Johann August Ernesti, who introduced Garve to Scottish and English philosophy, and he took his doctorate there in 1768.
Career

Although he was appointed Professor of Philosophy at Leipzig university in 1770, Garve had to return to his home town due to health problems. Thanks to his contacts with Leipzig literary circles, editors and publishers , Garve could nonetheless continue his work as a translator, which became his principal occupation and source of income.
Financial Situation

As a translater, Garve had a solid reputation based on the quality of his work and accordingly earned the highest fees on the market.

From 1783, Garve received a yearly pension of 200 thaler for his translation of Cicero's De officiis, completed at the request of Frederick II.
Translations Other Works

translations activities

Garve was a central figure in widening the deep impact of Scottish philosophy in Germany, by translating most of the Enlightenment theorists of civil society from 1765 until 1802. He became widely appreciated for his knowledge of English and for the extensive notes and commentaries he added to his editions in the form of an appendix. Garve rigorously choose what to translate according to a certain affinity and common views with the original author.

He complained about the quality of the translations produced in Leipzig, by then the most active German city for publishing. Garve blamed  the speed at which translations were requested by publishers for the rise of the so-called "translation factories", which lowered the quality of the prose and promoted mediocre versions of the original texts for the market.

Garve translated mostly from English, but also from French, Latin and Greek.

secondary bibliography references

D. Jacoby, 'Garve, Christian', Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie , vol. 8 (1878), pp. 385-392.

F. Oz-Salzberger, Translating the Enlightenment: Scottish Civic Discourse in Eighteenth-century Germany, Oxford, Clarendon Press, passim. but especially chapter 8, "Christian Garve: The Trouble with 'Public Spirit'", pp. 190-216.

J. van der Zande, 'The Microscope of Experience: Christian Garve's Translation of Cicero's "De Officiis" (1783)', Journal of the History of Ideas, 59, n°1 (1998), pp. 75-94.

N. Waszek, 'The Scottish Enlightenment in Germany, and its Translator, Christian Garve (1742-98)', in T. Hubbard and R. D. S. Jack, eds., Scotland and Europe, Amsterdam, Rodopi, 2006, pp. 55-72.

Id., 'Übersetzung praxis und Popularphilosophie am Beispiel Christian Garve', Das achtzehnte Jahrhundert, XXXI, n°1 (2007), pp. 42-64.

Translations

  • L'ami des jeunes gens

  • Translation Title: Der Freund junger Leute
  • Original Author: Guillame Grivel
  • Original title: L'ami des jeunes gens
  • Publ. Year From: 1763 to:
  • lang: French
  • Translation: Der Freund junger Leute
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1764
  • Lang: German

  • Observations on the Religion, Law, Government and Manners of the Turks

  • Translation Title: Sir James Porters Anmerkungen über die Religion, Regierungsform und die Sitten der Türken
  • Original Author: James Porter
  • Original title: Observations on the Religion, Law, Government and Manners of the Turks
  • Publ. Year From: 1767 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Sir James Porters Anmerkungen über die Religion, Regierungsform und die Sitten der Türken
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1767
  • Lang: German

  • Théorie du système animal

  • Translation Title: Philosophische Betrachtungen über die thierische Schöpfung
  • Original Author: John Bruckner
  • Original title: Théorie du système animal
  • Publ. Year From: 1766 to:
  • lang: French
  • Title: A Philosophical Survey of the Animal Creation
  • Pub. Place: Leiden
  • Pub. Year: 1766
  • Lang: English
  • Note:

    Garve translated from this English edition, translated by Thomas Cogan in 1767.

  • Translation: Philosophische Betrachtungen über die thierische Schöpfung
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1768
  • Lang: German

  • Institutes of Moral Philosophy

  • Translation Title: Adam Fergusons Grundsäzte der Kritik
  • Original Author: Adam Ferguson
  • Original title: Institutes of Moral Philosophy
  • Publ. Year From: 1768 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Adam Fergusons Grundsäzte der Kritik
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1771
  • Lang: German
  • Note:

    Garve's translation unintentionally but appreciably modifies the substance of Ferguson's ideas, by changing the meaning of expressions such as "public spirit", due to a lack of adequate German terms.

  • Elements of Criticism

  • Translation Title: Heinrich Home: Grundsätze der Kritik
  • Original Author: Henry Home, Lord Kames
  • Original title: Elements of Criticism
  • Publ. Year From: 1761 to:
  • lang: English
  • Title: Elements of Criticism
  • Pub. Place: Edinburgh
  • Pub. Year: 1768
  • Lang: English
  • Translation: Heinrich Home: Grundsätze der Kritik
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1771
  • Lang: German
  • Note:

    Garve and Engel reworked the translation by Meinhard (1763-1766) after his death, starting from the expanded fourth edition of Home's treatise.

  • A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful

  • Translation Title: Burkes philosophische Untersuchungen über den Ursprung unserer Begriffe von Erhabenen und Schönen
  • Original Author: Edmund Burke
  • Original title: A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful
  • Publ. Year From: 1756 to:
  • lang: English
  • Title: A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful
  • Pub. Place: Berwick
  • Pub. Year: 1771
  • Lang: English
  • Translation: Burkes philosophische Untersuchungen über den Ursprung unserer Begriffe von Erhabenen und Schönen
  • Pub. Place: Riga
  • Pub. Date: 1772
  • Lang: German

  • An Essay on Genius

  • Translation Title: Alexander Gerard: Versuch über das Genie
  • Original Author: Alexander Gerard
  • Original title: An Essay on Genius
  • Publ. Year From: 1773 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Alexander Gerard: Versuch über das Genie
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1775
  • Lang: German

  • De officiis libri tres

  • Translation Title: Abhandlung über die menschlichen Pflichten
  • Original Author: Cicero
  • Original title: De officiis libri tres
  • lang: Latin
  • Translation: Abhandlung über die menschlichen Pflichten
  • N° Editions: 4
  • Pub. Place: Brelsau
  • Pub. Date: 1782
  • Lang: German
  • Note:

    This translation was occasioned by Frederick II's stationing in Breslau during the negotiations for the Treaty of Teschen (1779): Garve met with the king, who asked the scholar for a new edition of his favourite book.

    Garve's version however enlarged the basis of Cicero's ethics and stoicism from the ruling classes to a popular audience, making the De officiis an educative and practical philosophical guide to virtuous life.

    Garve's translation obtained a huge success, being reprinted four times during his life and several times again afterwards until 1819.


  • Inquiries concerning the Poor

  • Translation Title: Johann Macfarlans Untersuchungen über die Armuth : die Ursachen derselben und die Mittel ihr abzuhelfen
  • Original Author: John Macfarlan
  • Original title: Inquiries concerning the Poor
  • Publ. Year From: 1781 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Johann Macfarlans Untersuchungen über die Armuth : die Ursachen derselben und die Mittel ihr abzuhelfen
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1784
  • Lang: German

  • The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy

  • Translation Title: M. Payley's Grundsätze der Moral und Politik
  • Original Author: William Paley
  • Original title: The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy
  • Publ. Year From: 1784 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: M. Payley's Grundsätze der Moral und Politik
  • Pub. Place: Leipzig
  • Pub. Date: 1786
  • Lang: German

  • A View of the Reign of Frederick II of Prussia; with a parallel between that Prince and Philip II of Macedon

  • Translation Title: Gillies Vergleichung zwischen Friedrich II. und Philipp dem König von Macedonien.
  • Original Author: John Gillies
  • Original title: A View of the Reign of Frederick II of Prussia; with a parallel between that Prince and Philip II of Macedon
  • Publ. Year From: 1788 to:
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Gillies Vergleichung zwischen Friedrich II. und Philipp dem König von Macedonien.
  • Pub. Place: Breslau
  • Pub. Date: 1790
  • Lang: German

  • An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

  • Translation Title: Untersuchung über die Natur und die Ursachen des Nationalreichthums
  • Original Author: Adam Smith
  • Original title: An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
  • Publ. Year From: 1775 to:
  • lang: English
  • Title: An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
  • Pub. Place: London
  • Pub. Year: 1785
  • Translation: Untersuchung über die Natur und die Ursachen des Nationalreichthums
  • Pub. Place: Brelsau
  • Pub. Date: 1793
  • Lang: German

  • Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια

  • Translation Title: Die Ethik des Aristoteles
  • Original Author: Aristotle
  • Original title: Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια
  • lang: Greek
  • Translation: Die Ethik des Aristoteles
  • Pub. Place: Breslau
  • Pub. Date: 1797
  • Lang: German

  • Πολιτικά

  • Translation Title: Die Politik des Aristoteles
  • Original Author: Aristotle
  • Original title: Πολιτικά
  • lang: Greek
  • Translation: Die Politik des Aristoteles
  • Pub. Place: Breslau
  • Pub. Date: 1798
  • Lang: German
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By:

  • Giovanni Lista