The Campaner Thal, and Other Writings — John Shaqi
The Campaner Thal, and Other WritingsJean Paul
Philosophy
The Campaner Thal, and Other Writings
Jean Paul
German literature -- Translations into English
I must return to the company! As the Chaplain carried his
walking-stick, or rather walking-tree of a cushion, with the greatest
indifference towards me, I wished to prejudice him for me by a
panegyric at the expense of Kant. I said to him: "It surprised me that
the philosophers should have suffered Kant to have made so great a
distinction between them and artists, and only allowed the merit of
genius to the latter. He says, in § 47 of his 'Kritik der
Urtheilkraft,' 'In sciences, the greatest inventor is only
distinguished from the most labored imitator and apprentice by
gradation; but from, those whom nature has gifted for beautiful nature,
he is specifically distinguished.' This is derogatory, Sir Chaplain,
and besides, not true. Why can Kant, then, only make Kantists, but no
Kants?[11] Are new systems discovered by syllogisms, yet they are
proved and tried by them? Can, then, the connection of a new
philosophical idea with the old one better explain or facilitate its
comprehension than the same connection which each new poetic one must
have with old ones, which are the means of its creation. Sir Chaplain,
I know not whom Kant has most sinned against, Truth, himself, or his
school. Leibnitz's 'Monadology,' _harmonia præstabilita_, &c., are as
much pure, brilliant emanations of genius, as any beaming form in
Shakespeare or Homer. Besides, Leibnitz is a genial almighty Demiurg in
the philosophical world, its greatest and first circumnavigator, and
who, happier than Archimedes, found in his genius the standing-point
from which he might move the philosophical _universa_, and play with
worlds. He was an extraordinary spirit, he threw new chains on the
earth, but he himself bore none: I think you agree with me, Sir
Chaplain!" He replied, He did not, that the critical philosophy knew
what to make of Leibnitz's experiments, his immaterial world, the
asserted approximation of the definite to the indefinite line, and how
to honor genius. In short, I had rather angered than conquered him.
Karlson, whom even Amor's torch could not blind to the philosophical
one, took as much interest in our war as could be taken with the ears.
Fortunately we all stood still. A small diamond had fallen from
Nadine's necklace, and she sought for the silver petrified spark in the
grass. Strange that a man always hopes to find a thing on the spot
where he perceives his loss. Nadine looked for her hardened dew-drop on
the sparkling, spangled mead. As a bright diamond of the first water,
it was so easily mistaken for a dew-drop, that I remarked, seeing one
in Nadine's breast-rose, "Everything is covered with soft diamonds, and
who will find the hard one? The dew in your rose sparkles as brightly
as the lost stone." She looked down, and in the rose-cup lay the
sought-for gem! It was thought I had been clever, and I was angry with
myself for having been so stupid. But Nadine liked me no less for it,
and that was reward enough.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account