Every good man progressively becomes God. To become God, to be man, and to educate oneself, are expressions that are synonymous. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel More Quotes by Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel More Quotes From Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel Whoever has not arrived at the clear insight that there might be greatness entirely outside his own sphere for which he has no understanding, whoever does not have at least a dim inkling in which area of the human spirit this greatness might be situated: he is within his own sphere either without genius, or he has not educated himself up to the point of the classical attitude. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel greatness understanding attitude Nothing is more piquant than when a man of genius possesses mannerisms; not so when they possess him -- this leads to spiritual petrification. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel genius spiritual men That which reminds us of nature and thus stimulates a feeling for the infinite abundance of life is beautiful. Nature is organic,and therefore the highest beauty is forever vegetative; and the same is true for morality and love. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel nature forever beautiful German writings attain popularity through a great name, or through personalities, or through good connections, or through effort,or through moderate immorality, or through accomplished incomprehensibility, or through harmonious platitude, or through versatile boredom, or through constant striving after the absolute. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel boredom names writing The analytical writer observes the reader as he is; accordingly, he makes his calculation, sets his machine to make the appropriate effect on him. The synthetic writer constructs and creates his own reader; he does not imagine him as resting and dead, but lively and advancing toward him. He makes that which he had invented gradually take shape before the reader's eyes, or he tempts him to do the inventing for himself. He does not want to make a particular effect on him, but rather enters into a solemn relationship of innermost symphilosophy or sympoetry. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel machines eye doe When the author has no idea of what to reply to a critic, he then likes to say: you could not do it better anyway. This is the same as if a dogmatic philosopher reproached a skeptic for not being able to devise a system. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel able criticism ideas With respect to ingenious subconsciousness, I think, philosophers might well rival poets. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel rivals philosophical thinking Philosophy still moves too much straight ahead, and is not yet cyclical enough. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel philosophical philosophy moving Every philosophical review ought to be a philosophy of reviews at the same time. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel philosophical time philosophy I have expressed some ideas that point to the center; I have saluted the dawn in my way, from my point of view. He who knows the way should do the same, in his way, and from his point of view. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel dawn views ideas As long as the artist invents and is inspired, he remains in a constrained state of mind, at least for the purpose of communication. He then wants to say everything, which is the wrong tendency of young geniuses or the right prejudice of old bunglers. Thus, he fails to recognize the value and dignity of self-restraint, which is indeed for both the artist and the man the first and the last, the most necessary and the highest goal. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel communication artist men Wit is absolutely sociable spirit or aphoristic genius. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel wit genius spirit Those works whose ideal has not as much living reality and, as it were, personality as the beloved one or a friend had better remain unwritten. They would at least never become works of art. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel personality reality art One mentions many artists who are actually art works of nature. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel nature work art One of the two is almost always a prevailing tendency of every author: either not to say some things which certainly should be said, or to say many things which did not need to be said. The first is the original sin of synthetic natures, the latter of analytical natures. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel two needs firsts Whoever could properly characterize Goethe's Meister would have actually expressed what is the timely trend in literature. He would be able, as far as literary criticism is concerned, to rest. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel criticism literature would-be If the mystical lovers of the arts, who consider all criticism dissection and all dissection destruction of enjoyment, thought logically, an exclamation like "Goodness alive!" would be the best criticism of the most deserving work of art. There are critiques which say nothing but that, only they do so more extensively. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel criticism would-be art One should have wit, but not wish to have it; otherwise there will be witticism, the Alexandrian style of wit. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel style should-have wish We do not see God, but everywhere we see something divine; first and most typically in the center of a reasonable man, in the depth of a living human product. You can directly feel and think nature, the universe, but not the Godhead. Only the man among men can poetize and think divinely and live with religion. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel god men thinking All the classical genres are now ridiculous in their rigorous purity. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel genre ridiculous purity
