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It’s time to digest what I’ve recently read. At the beginning of the week, I started reading “Parerga and Paralipomena.” Now, I’ve gone through the first few essays: “Sketch of a History of Ideal and Real” and “Fragments for the History of Philosophy.”
Philosophy is a peculiar subject. We may study it in depth, even to the point where we have a feeling that we already know everything about it, being able to explain most of the philosophical concepts, and realize that all these great philosophers talked about one and the same thing, namely, the world, though each of them saw it from a different angle. I knew very smart people who have read hundreds of books in their lives—I mean, in their adult lives when they weren’t pressed by a school teacher, a university professor or other zombies—when their guiding stars were curiosity and the thirst for knowledge. None of them could understand Kant’s “Critique of Pure Reason.” Those who read it were quite satisfied after one or two dialogs concerning concepts like appearance, phenomenon, thing-in-itself, time, space—they believe that they got all of it. I also believed that I got it, especially after such dialogs where I was able to explain the difference between “real” and “ideal”.
And now, rereading Schopenhauer, I see that I forgot almost everything. Maybe it’s because this knowledge has no practical application? But if I understood it once, how could I forget? Does it mean that I didn’t understand anything? Okay, let’s talk about it in a video.
Bing's version.
I read some essays of philosophy
And now I must digest what they contain
They speak of real and ideal, and how we
Perceive the world from angles not the same
I knew some people who were very wise
They read a lot of books with thirst and zeal
But none could grasp what Kant did theorize
About the things we see and things we feel
And now I see that I have much forgot
Of what I learned and thought I understood
Perhaps this knowledge matters not a lot
Or maybe I did not learn as I should
But let us not despair of what we miss
And rather talk of it with words like this
Make it sound angry.
I wasted time on reading worthless books
That prate of things that none can comprehend
They fill my head with nonsense and with crooks
That twist the truth and make it hard to bend
I met some fools who thought they knew it all
They read a lot of words but learned no sense
They could not see the folly of their call
To worship Kant and his false pretense
And now I rage that I have lost my mind
On what I learned and thought was wisdom's peak
This knowledge is a curse of humankind
Or maybe I was just too blind and weak
But curse them not, for they know not their sin
And rather mock them with a scornful grin
Make it sound cynical.
I read some essays of philosophy
And now I must pretend that I do care
They speak of things that have no use for me
But make me seem more clever and more fair
I knew some people who were very vain
They read a lot of books to show their wit
But none could tell what Kant did mean or gain
By writing things that no one can admit
And now I smile that I have played the game
Of what I learned and thought was reason's light
This knowledge is a tool for fame and shame
Or maybe I was just too bored and bright
But praise them not, for they seek not the truth
And rather use them for your own behoof
Try duple meter.
I read some books
Of thoughts profound
They speak of looks
And what is sound
I knew some men
Who read with zeal
But none could ken
What Kant did feel
And now I find
I have forgot
What filled my mind
And what did not
But do not fret
And let us chat
With words well set
And thoughts well spat.
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