Kant's Sublime Misanthropy (ref. Schopenhauer)

Comments · 67

• SI

  @Siss2012 · 6 months ago · pinned

  Brilliant analysis of two brilliant thinkers! Thank you!

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• RI

  @rindenauge3426 · 1 year ago

  I never really chose to be alone. Some people just have great difficulties in finding people who fit to them, and society really likes making it even harder for them.

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• TB

  @tbobtbob330 · 1 year ago

  I retired early at 52 and have preferred living alone and avoiding people. The description here kind of hits the nail on the head in that I'm just disappointed in humanity. Every interaction I have with people has just made me happier to further isolate myself. My understanding of the behavior of people gets better every time I lower my estimation of how evolved the species currently is, and my estimation has become pretty low in the last few years.

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• YA

  @yarivfreed1098 · 1 year ago

  Thank you for explaining Kant and Schopenhauer in modern terms - I find some of their writings difficult to understand and you make it so clear.

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• CH

  @cherishthechild5432 · 1 year ago

  By oneself one can reach majestic heights that are simply not possible when with others.

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• JL

  @JlkKlj321 · 1 year ago

  Thank You Christopher Anadale again for sharing these wonderful historical works of written excellence.<br>Good day Sir.

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• WI

  @willieluncheonette5843 · 1 year ago

  &quot; I am reminded of a great German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. He is a specimen of those people who are absolutely in the mind. He lived according to mind so totally that people used to set their watches, whenever they saw Immanuel Kant going to the university. Never — it may rain, it may rain fire, it may rain cats and dogs, it may be utterly cold, snow falling … Whatever the situation, Kant will reach the university at exactly the same time all the year round, even on holidays. Such a fixed, almost mechanical … He would go on holiday at exactly the same time, remain in the university library, which was specially kept open for him, because otherwise what would he do there the whole day? And he was a very prominent, well-known philosopher, and he would leave the university at exactly the same time every day. <br> <br>One day it happened … It had rained and there was too much mud on the way — one of his shoes got stuck in the mud. He did not stop to take the shoe out because that would make him reach the university a few seconds later, and that was impossible. He left the shoe there. He just arrived with one shoe. The students could not believe it. Somebody asked, “What happened to the other shoe?” <br> <br>He said, “It got stuck in the mud, so I left it there, knowing perfectly well nobody is going to steal one shoe. When I return in the evening, then I will pick it up. But I could not have been late.” <br> <br>A woman proposed to him: “I want to be married to you” — a beautiful young woman. Perhaps no woman has ever received such an answer, before or after Immanuel Kant. Either you say, “Yes,” or you say, “No. Excuse me.” Immanuel Kant said, “I will have to do a great deal of research.” <br> <br>The woman asked, “About what?” <br> <br>He said, “I will have to look in all the marriage manuals, all the books concerning marriage, and find out all the pros and cons — whether to marry or not to marry.” <br> <br>The woman could not imagine that this kind of answer had ever been given to any woman before. Even no is acceptable, even yes, although you are getting into a misery, but it is acceptable. But this kind of indifferent attitude towards the woman — he did not say a single sweet word to her. He did not say anything about her beauty, his whole concern was his mind. He had to convince his mind whether or not marriage is logically the right thing. <br> <br>It took him three years. It was really a long search. Day and night he was working on it, and he had found three hundred reasons against marriage and three hundred reasons for marriage. So the problem even after three years was the same. <br> <br>One friend suggested out of compassion, “You wasted three years on this stupid research. In three years you would have experienced all these six hundred, without any research. You should have just said yes to that woman. There was no need to do so much hard work. Three years would have given you all the pros and cons — existentially, experientially.” <br> <br>But Kant said, “I am in a fix. Both are equal, parallel, balanced. There is no way to choose.” <br> <br>The friend suggested, “Of the pros you have forgotten one thing: that whenever there is a chance, it is better to say yes and go through the experience. That is one thing more in favor of the pros. The cons cannot give you any experience, and only experience has any validity.” <br> <br>He understood, it was intellectually right. He immediately went to the woman’s house, knocked on her door. Her old father opened the door and said, “Young man, you are too late. You took too long in your research. My girl is married and has two children.” That was the last thing that was ever heard about his marriage. From then on no woman ever asked him, and he was not the kind of man to ask anybody. He remained unmarried.&quot;

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• NA

  @naturelover1284 · 1 year ago

  I continued to be exhausted and withdraw from people because you&apos;re talked to like a bag of skin with a bunch of Bones and juice in it and as you get older you don&apos;t want to deal with it anymore

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• GU

  @GuitarZ_Z-n4z · 9 days ago

  Yes, professor, wistful sadness. &nbsp;“ I do not avoid society from fear and contempt, &nbsp;I rather withdraw from society to save myself”. &nbsp;“Noble misanthropy”

• SO

  @SOWATruth · 2 weeks ago

  I’m in my 70s and have lived in an isolated off grid cabin in the woods since I was 50. My nearest neighbor is over a mile away and I’m referred to by people down in the valley as the old hermit either up on the mountain or at the end of the road. Works for me 😊.

• SP

  @spearshakerMLXXIV · 1 month ago

  Kants final words were “It’s fine.” I just learned that today.

• SU

  @susanegley4149 · 1 year ago

  Love these videos! I regret not taking philosophy in school. Thank you. ❤

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