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Файл:Kant. Aphorisms
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What is man?
On Respect and Dignity
Respect is a tribute that we cannot refuse to pay to
merit, whether we want it or not...
Respect is always directed only to persons, never to
things.
... morality, and humanity insofar as it is capable of
morality, is that which alone has dignity.
... the person who depends on [another] is no longer
a human, he has lost this rank, he is nothing except a
belonging of another human.
If a man estimates his worthiness by others, he tries
either to raise himself over others or to diminish the worthiness of another. The latter is envy.
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Kant. Aphorisms
On Character
Character consists in readiness to act in accordance
with ‘maxims.’
A man who tells lies has no character…
The first step towards the formation of a good character is to put passions on one side.
Few people will endure their mockery and contempt
with a peaceful mind if they are in front of a large crowd
even though they know that the people in the crowd are
all ignoramuses or fools. The greatest crowd always
instils awe, indeed, even the onlooker shivers with fright
about the false step of whoever compromises himself in
its [the crowd’s] presence although each individual
would find little disparaging in the speaker’s disapproval
if he were alone with him. But if the great crowd is absent then a steady man can inspect their judgment quite
well with complete indifference.
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What is man?
On Egoism
Egoism can contain three kinds of presumption: the
presumption of understanding, of taste and of practical
interest; that is, it can be logical, aesthetic, or practical.
The logical egoist considers it unnecessary to test his
judgement also by understanding of others; as if he had
no need at all for this touchstone (criterium veritatis
externum).
The aesthetic egoist is satisfied with his own taste,
even if others find his verses, paintings, music, and similar things ever so bad, and criticize or even laugh at
them. He deprives himself of progress towards that
which is better when he isolates himself with his own
judgement, he applauds himself and seeks the touchstone
of artistic beauty only in himself.
Finally, moral egoist limits all ends to himself, sees
no use in anything except what is useful to himself, and
as a eudaemonist puts the supreme determining ground
of his will simply in utility and his own happiness, not in
the thought of duty.
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Kant. Aphorisms
The opposite of egoism can only be pluralism, that
is, the way of thinking in which one is not concerned
with oneself as the whole world, but rather regards and
conducts oneself as a mere citizen of the world.
V
On Temperament
I
A man of melancholy disposition bothers little about
the judgement of others, what they reckon good or true;
thus he depends in this matter only on his own insight ...
Friendship is sublime and thus conforms to his feeling.
He can perhaps lose an inconstant friend, but the latter
will be reluctant to lose him. Even the memory of an
extinguished friendship is still venerated by him… He
will not tolerate a base obedience, and his noble breast
breathes freedom. All chains – from the gold ones at
court to the heavy iron of galley-slaves – fill him with
disgust. He is a strict judge of himself and others and is
often weary both of both himself and the world.
II
He is resolute. Thus he subjects his feelings to principles.
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What is man?
So the true virtue based on principles has something
that seems to accord most with the melancholic disposition in a tempered understanding.
On Cleverness
It is already a great and necessary proof of cleverness
or insight to know what one should reasonably ask. For if
the question is absurd in itself and demands unnecessary
answers, then, besides the embarrassment of the one who
proposes it, it also has a disadvantage of misleading the
incautious listener into absurd answers, and presenting the
ridiculous sight (as the ancients said) of one person milking
a billy-goat while the other holds a sieve underneath.
I can never convince another except through his own
thoughts. I must therefore assume that the other has a
good and correct understanding, otherwise it is futile to
hope that he will be capable of being won over by my
reasons. I cannot even move someone morally except
through his own sentiments; consequently, I must assume that the other has a certain goodness of the heart…
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Kant. Aphorisms
On Imagination
We play with the imagination frequently and gladly,
but imagination (as fantasy) plays just as frequently with
us, and sometimes very inconveniently.
On Genius
I
Genius is a talent of discovering that which cannot
be taught or learned
II
Genius, therefore, flashes like a momentary phenomenon, appearing at intervals and then disappearing
again; it is not a light that can be kindled at will and kept
burning for as long as one pleases, but an explosive flash
that a happy impulse of the spirit lures from the productive power of imagination.
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What is man?
Genius also seems to have different original seeds
within itself and to develop them differently, according
to the difference of national type and the soil where it
was born. With the Germans it strikes more in the roots;
with the Italians, in the foliage; with the French, in the
blossoms; and with the English, in the fruit.
On Craftiness
Craftiness, a head for intrigue, is often regarded as
great though misused understanding; but it is only the
way of thinking of very limited human beings and is
very different from prudence, whose appearance it has.
Craftiness, cunning, slyness (versutia, astutia) is skill
in cheating others. The question now is: whether the
cheater must be more clever than the one who is easily
cheated, and whether it is the latter who is the stupid
one?
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Kant. Aphorisms
III
That people allow themselves to be taken in by treasure seekers, alchemists, and lottery agents is not to be
attributed to their stupidity but to their evil will: the desire to get rich at others' expense without a proportionate
effort of their own.
On Wit
I
He who shows judgement in business is shrewd. If at
the same time he has wit, then he is called clever. He
who merely affects one of the qualities, the joker as well
as the prig, is a disgusting subject.
II
To be witty (in speech or writing) cannot be learned
through the mechanism of the school and its constraint,
rather it belongs, as a special talent, to the liberality of
the temperament in the mutual communication of
thoughts...
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What is man?
Wit snatches at sudden inspiration; the power of
judgement strives for insight.
Wit goes more for the sauce; the power of judgement, for the sustenance.
Wit in wordplay is insipid; while needless subtlety...
of judgement is pedantic. Humorous wit means one that
comes from a mind disposed to paradox...
The human being has a natural tendency to compare
his behaviour to that of a more important person (the
child with adult, the lower-ranking person with those of
higher rank) in order to imitate the other person's ways.
A law of this imitation, which aims at not appearing
lower, especially in cases when no regard to utility is
paid, is called fashion.
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On Fashion
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Kant. Aphorisms
But it is always better, nevertheless, to be a fool in
fashion than a fool out of fashion...
It is quite ridiculous to say you should love other people, instead one must rather say you have good reason to
love the ones near you. This even goes for your enemies.
Others’ love of honour is so highly valued because it
indicates so much renunciation of other benefits.
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On Love
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