Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-14
Emanuel Kant as . Professor, IErorn kha Fdinhnrnh Rariau

He gave an hour daily either to logic or metaphysics; the others to some branch of applied philosophy, or such a subject as physical geography or anthropology. He was especially famous for his regularity in his work in all things. One nearer testiies to the fact that for nine years in succession, during which he attended his classes, his teacher never missed an hour. Of his mode of featuring several accounts exist, some more favorable and enthusiastic, and others more critical. All concur in testifying to his rare power of fix ing attention, and imparting his ideas. even when dealing with the most abstruse matters. An attentive listener not merely received knowledge, but Ia lesson in methodical thinking" He had certainly the true ideal of great teacher more familiar to the lec- ture rooms of the German and Scottish than to those of the English universities. He did not aim to teach his own system exclusively or mainly, even after he had carefully elab- orated it, and still less did he aim to impress his own personality upon his hearers. His primary and chief aim was to make them think. He would often say, ''You will not learn philosophy from me, but to philosophize-not merely thoughts for repetition, but to think" In this logic he gave three important rules First, to think yourself second to place yourself in the place of others; third, always to think con
 sistently. The first is the enlightened, the second IS the 6nlaf86Q, the Gn1rQ IS the con
 sequent method of thinking" The follow ing picture of the philosopher in his lecture room represents him in his later years G795), when the long burden of thought had worn out the fire of his earlier enthusiasm. In or der to realize him in his prime we must i'm agine, if not a much stronger figure, for he was always lean and little, yet a more living and moving force of intellect. The picture, however, possesses interest not only in itself, but as the sketch of 8 young nobleman, the Graf von Purgstall, who in his twenty second year made pilgrimage to Konigsberg to see the 'Patriarch" of the Critical Philosophy, the enthusiasm of which he caught under Rheinhold, one of Rants disciples, at Jena. In the following manner he describes his impressions to 8 student friend: Imagine to yourself little old man, bent forward as he sits, in brown coat with vel low buttons, with wig and hair bag to boot; imagine further that this little man sometimes takes his hands out from the close buttoned coat where they lie crossed, and makes slight movement before his face, as man does when wishing some one else quite to understand him. Draw this picture to your self, and you see him to hair. Though all this can scarcely be termed elegant, though his words do not ring clear, still everything which his delivery, if I may say so, lacks in form, is richly compensated by the excellence of the matter. Kant lectures on an old logic by Meier, if I mistake not. He always brings the book with him into lecture It looks so old and stained, he must, think, have brought it to the class for forty years On every page be has notes written in minute charac- ters. Many of the printed pages are pasted over with paper, and many leaves struck out; so that, as you can see, almost nothing of Meier's logic remains. Not one of his hear CTS brings the book to lecture they merely write to his dictation He does not, howev- CT, appear to notice this and follows his author with much fidelity from chapter to chapter, and then corrects him, or rather says quite the reverse; but in all the greatest sim picity, and without the least appearance of concelt over his discoveries"