The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; The Art of Literature — Schopenhauer — John Shaqi
The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; The Art of Literature
Schopenhauer · en
Schopenhauer also utters a warning, which we shall do well to take to
heart in these days, against mingling the pursuit of literature with
vulgar aims. If we follow him here, we shall carefully distinguish
between literature as an object of life and literature as a means of
living, between the real love of truth and beauty, and that detestable
false love which looks to the price it will fetch in the market. I am
not referring to those who, while they follow a useful and honorable
calling in bringing literature before the public, are content to be
known as men of business. If, by the help of some second witch
of Endor, we could raise the ghost of Schopenhauer, it would be
interesting to hear his opinion of a certain kind of literary
enterprise which has come into vogue since his day, and now receives
an amount of attention very much beyond its due. We may hazard a guess
at the direction his opinion would take. He would doubtless show us
how this enterprise, which is carried on by self-styled _literary
men_, ends by making literature into a form of merchandise, and
treating it as though it were so much goods to be bought and sold at a
profit, and most likely to produce quick returns if the maker's name
is well known. Nor would it be the ghost of the real Schopenhauer
unless we heard a vigorous denunciation of men who claim a connection
with literature by a servile flattery of successful living
authors--the dead cannot be made to pay--in the hope of appearing to
advantage in their reflected light and turning that advantage into
money.