There is no self-knowledge except historical self-knowledge. No one knows what he is if he doesn't know what his contemporaries are. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel More Quotes by Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel More Quotes From Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel An aphorism ought to be entirely isolated from the surrounding world like a little work of art and complete in itself like a hedgehog. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel literature world art Form your life humanly, and you have done enough: but you will never reach the height of art and the depth of science without something divine. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel depth done art From what the moderns want, we must learn what poetry should become; from what the ancients did, what poetry must be. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel should want In the world of language, or in other words in the world of art and liberal education, religion necessarily appears as mythology or as Bible. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel education world art In true prose everything must be underlined. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel prose literature It is as deadly for a mind to have a system as to have none. Therefore it will have to decide to combine both. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel reincarnation mind It is peculiar to mankind to transcend mankind. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel mankind peculiar literature Like Leibniz's possible worlds, most men are only equally entitled pretenders to existence. There are few existences. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel existence men world Nothing is more witty and grotesque than ancient mythology and Christianity; that is because they are so mystical. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel good-christian literature witty Novels are the Socratic dialogues of our time. Practical wisdom fled from school wisdom into this liberal form. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel form wisdom school Novels tend to end as the Paternoster begins: with the kingdom of God on earth. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel literature kingdoms earth One can only become a philosopher, but not be one. As one believes he is a philosopher, he stops being one. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel philosopher literature believe He who does not become familiar with nature through love will never know her. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel familiar knows doe Strictly speaking, the idea of a scientific poem is probably as nonsensical as that of a poetic science. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel nonsensical poetic ideas Whoever does not philosophize for the sake of philosophy, but rather uses philosophy as a means, is a sophist. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel doe philosophy mean When reason and unreason come into contact, an electrical shock occurs. This is called polemics. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel polemics shock reason Many a witty inspiration is like the surprising reunion of befriended thoughts after a long separation. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel inspiration witty long A priest is he who lives solely in the realm of the invisible, for whom all that is visible has only the truth of an allegory. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel invisible realms priests Art and works of art do not make an artist; sense and enthusiasm and instinct do. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel instinct enthusiasm art As the ancient commander addressed his soldiers before battle, so should the moralist speak to men in the struggle of the era. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel soldier struggle men