A Study of Kant

From the first chapter: §1. The Man: his Nature and Nurture

ON a broad survey of the history of Modern Philosophy it may safely be said that the lonely philosopher of Konigsberg occupies the central place. The most striking features of this philosophy at the outset were its two extremes — the one eventually described by Kant himself as rationalism, the other as empiricism. Descartes inaugurated the first by his Discourse on Method and Locke the second by his 'new way of ideas.' In Kant's 'Critical Philosophy' both the 'pure reason' of the former and 'the matters of fact' of the latter find a meeting place. From him again the diverging systems of Fichte and his Absolutist successors on the one hand, the Individualism of Herbart and the Pantheism of Schopenhauer on the other alike take their rise. True, these aberrant systems did not flourish for long: some fifty years after his death the cry went forth: "We must go back to Kant." The so-called Neo-Kantian movement which then began, has increased steadily and continuously ever since. No philosophers, not even Plato or Aristotle, can claim such a volume of literature, expository, philological, and polemical, as that which relates to Kant. The Berlin Academy is at this moment engaged in publishing every scrap of his manuscripts that systematic search can discover; and what was said some fifty years ago — "Articles about Kant are springing up like mush- rooms on every side" — is still true to-day.

Let us try first to put together from the scanty sources available a brief sketch of the nature and nurture of the man himself as a preliminary to the attempt to trace his philosophical development, to estimate what he ultimately accomplished, and understand wherein he failed. Physically Kant was a small thin man, 'hardly more than five feet in height' and 'evanescent as a shadow.' He had a narrow sunken chest which by cramping the free movement both of the heart and lungs almost drove him in earlier years, as he has said himself, 'to feel weary of life' (bis an den Ueberdruss der Lebensgrenzte). But he relates how in the course of years, though the physical oppression was beyond his control, he succeeded — by resolutely diverting his attention from its effects — in preventing it entirely from disturbing his mental life. But with this frail and stooping body there went an arresting physiognomy — a massive forehead, a shapely nose, and a mouth at once firm and mobile, testifying to the power of mind over body, to dispel its vapours with their brooding darkness and to irradiate life's daily round with cheerfulness and confidence — a power, and therefore a duty, which Kant both preached and practised. But Kant's most striking feature — noted by everybody — were his large, sparkling yet penetrating blue eyes — betokening kindliness and sprightly wit as well as alertness and critical acumen. No wonder then, that in spite of his consuming zeal for philosophy, he every day found time for social relaxation.