The sun., 1891-01-11

It is an interesting fact that schopenhauer.
who failed as teacher OF philosophy at Berlin.
and who never was able to persuade his
brother philosophers in Germany to take him
quite seriously. should have the honor Of
place In Great Writers series now publish
ing in London. We may find o clue. however,
to tho principle Of selection In the fact that
great thinkers, as distinguished from great
writer's, do not figure in the series. Thus Kant.
Fichte. and Hegel are left out. while Goethe.
Schiller. and Lessing are inserted. On the
other hand. It Ii intended to include Bacon.
HOBBIES. Locke. Berkeley. and Hume In the
collection. We can see. therefore. that the ed
itors contemplate not 80 much the power Of
enunciating truth as the art OF saying true
things agreeably. Losing would have exem-
pliflsd the art. had he undertaken to formulate
a philosophical system and schopenhauer
constitutes pleasing exception to the rule that
in Germany. philosophy is written BY profess
sors for professors, He conformed rather
to the English tradition. according to which
philosophy 10 taught BY gentlemen to gentle
men he was born on q higher social level than
most OF tho philosophical teachers Of Ger
many. and he enjoyed all his life position OF
pecuniarv Independence. He therefore nat
urally took tho tone and attitude OF . man OF
the world rather than that OF . university Ice
trrer or closet philosopher. To these general
reasons for the sympathy which hs excitss
among EnRlishmsn outside the narrow
circle OF professional ontologists and psy-
choloeists should be added the specific fact
that he felt all his life strong liking for
England, as was humorously svinced BY bis
daily perusal Of the London Tines. Indeed.
il We consider his pessimistic view Of
human nature rather than the central prinoi-
ple Of his system. Schopenhauer presents many
curious points OF resemblance to an English
thinker much less familiar TO the readers of
our day than he deservesl to be-we refer. OF
course. to Hobbies.
Arthur schopenhauer was born In 1898 at
Dantzic. then free Hanse town acknowledging
q nominal allegiance to Poland. Both his
parents were Of Dutch extraction. but at the
time OF his birth his father and his maternal
grandfather were among the most prosperous
and influential of tho patriciAn merchants Of
the free city. After the second partition Of
Poland. Dantzic was annexed to Prussia, and at
the age OF nve Arthur Schopenhauer followed
his parents into exile. They settled In Ham,
burg. and the fourteen years which their son
spent in this oity were an important factor in
the development OF his mind and character.
His early education WAS OF . peculiar type.
but the elder Sohopenhausr had . broad and
elevated conception Of q merchants aualia-
cations. such as used to be held In Florence
and Venice. He desired to train his son for
mercantile career. but In suoh q way 10 to
keep In view the position OF q gentleman. He
did not want him to degenerate into the mere
scholar. Travel played Q large part In his
scheme Of instruction. and. accordingy when
Arthur was nine years old. he WAS taken on an
excursion to Paris. and then left for two years
at Havre in the household OF commercial cor
respondent That at the end OF that time he had
to q large extent forgotten his native tongue
delighted his father who believed In the supe-
rior cosmopolitan value Of French and Eng
lish. At an early date. however, Sehopenhsuer
was fascinated BY the idea Of . literary LIE.
and to divert him from It his father offered to
take him on . long tour through France and
England. provided he would promise on his
return to devote himself to a commercial
career. The offer was accepted. and on the
completion OF the tour In 1906 the boy. then IT.
entered Q merchants counting room. He IN
doubtedly intended to be loyal 10 his compsot
for. although some months later his father
| died. he stuck to his unoonRenial post for two
| yenrs. At tho end OF that time his mother con-
ssnted to his preparation for the university.
and 80 In 1907, at the age OF 49, Schopenhauer
entered tho gymnasium or grammar school at
Gotha. taking his place BY the side Of youths
several years junior. At Gotha, and subse-
| Quently at Weimsr. he contrived to mako him
self good Greek and Latin scholar.
In the beginning Of 1909 Bchopenhauer on
attaining his majority, received his share OF
the paternal inheritance. This share amount
cd to some 19. 900 thalcrs Invested at 8 and 8
per cent. Besides this, he had his part inter-
est In properties near Dsntzic. which, let out
to tenants were valued In 1899 ut 10000
gulden. At later date he also received some
legsoieA Thus possessed OF what for the time
was q fair income. he entered the University Of
GottinRen enrolling himself 80 a student of
medicine. but subsequently, turning his alton
tion 10 philosophy. With several OF his fellow
students he was on friendly terms, especially
with Bunsen and William b. Astor. In 1911 he
| removed to Berlin. whore hs attended lectures
by Hchts and Soheisrmsoher. His note books
made ct this period show that he already
doomed himself . better philosopher than his
teachers. and evince the contempt which he
was afterward so fond OF expressing for the
university professor" Obliged TO leave Bsr-
liu In 1918 latter the battle OF Lntzsn). he OBJ