Georg Christoph Lichtenberg's Sudelbücher (1800 - 1806) form a unique collection of aphorisms. The close connection between personal notes and scientific work represents an unusual historical document and established the author's fame. In his witty, often quite cheeky aphorisms, he firmly opposes superstition and mysticism, contrasting them with logic and rationality. He also addresses societal and literary movements of his time, such as Sensibility and Sturm und Drang, with critical remarks. Lichtenberg's skepticism regarding Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier's discovery of oxygen combustion and his clear distance from Classicism and Early Romanticism indicate that he, as a scientist and publicist, lagged behind the developments of his time.