In the small German town of Jena in the 1790s, an extraordinary circle of friends lived and breathed a powerful new philosophy of the self and launched a literary movement of world-historical importance-Romanticism-onto the global stage. As the French Revolution collapsed into tyranny and the rulers of Europe told their subjects how to think and act, these brilliant poets, playwrights, and writers sparked a revolution of the mind that changed the world. Their lives were filled with epic quarrels, passionate love affairs, heart-breaking grief, and above all, radical ideas-about nature, the creative power of the self, the aspirations of art and science, and the true meaning of freedom. We are still empowered by their daring leap into the self. We also still walk the same tightrope that they did between meaningful self-fulfillment and destructive narcissism, between the inalienable rights of the individual and our responsibilities toward our communities and future generations. Exhilarating, inspiring, and crackling with wit and drama, Magnificent Rebels tells the thrilling story of the birth of a very modern idea.