New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-02
SCHOPENHAUER.
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL LETTER.
THE GREAT PEssIMIsT YIELDED TO THE HUMAN
rnNnNEss FOR NOTORIETY.

THE GREAT PEssIMIsT YIELDED TO THE HUMAN
FoNDNEss FOR NOTORIETY
Halle Germany, october l.
Tnver,lly II erary and scientific circles Ill geher'u
lave been deeply interested in an important et'er u
schopenhauer which published for the hrSt UNIV
in the last number of the "Centralbstt fuer bio""
tbekswesen.n The editor Of the magazine or peri
odical the librarian OF the university discovered 'ho
let,r among the effects of the late Professor 'ons'
Edward Erdmsnn. who died in this city last june
In the early ffties Erdmann, who earned cohsiue'"o
fame a. a teacher and writer, was preparing H''''
for his Development of German Speculation s'"''
Kant which was 10 b, the second part OF his MS oy
Of modern philosophy. In order to get MS h'o'in"
ton from the vc.y best source, Erdmann rcques'oi
schopenhauer to send him a short sketch OF MS NJ
for use in the proposed history IL Is t'e le"o' III
answer to this request which the librarian mas "o
given for the first time TO the literary world' "
was written April Q, 1851 from frankiorIoh-'he'
Main, where Schopenhauer then living IL rcad'
rs follows:
As the purpose for which you request c'rhh III
formation in Your welcome letter Necessarily must De
agreeable il becomes matter Of duty 10 grant your
reques-despite my inability 10 approve OF III" '"sc
NJ the public TO concern itscf with the le;Son as well
as the matter and despite constant choi' 10 Keep
my personality In the background therefore seha
YOU few biographical notices which appear to me 10
be about what you desire.
81 was born In Danzie February -, los VI!
father was one Of the most prominent merchants OF
tie city, while my mother. Johanna Hchopcnhan"r
af,erward became famous for her writings iH'SihS
over the evancolinm infsntac which woud take rs io
England and France ] report that entered the Uni
rorsi,v az C;oettingen in 1900. and there Sudi'd
natural sciences and history. In my second semester
! was awakened to the Importance OF Philosophy W
Tho lectures Of q. +. Schuzc 'Aenesde'nus' iic
advised me 10 devote myself at first exclusively 10
Plato and Kant. and 10 leave all other AUTHORS eS
pecialy Aristotle and spnoza alone until naa
mastered these two completely. nave been sa'is"e"
with my adherence to this plan.
In 1911 ! entered the University Of Ecrhh' ca
pecting 10 fnd Il great mind and pure p"loSop"c'
In Fichte This veneratiOn a prior soon turned 10
disregard and mockcry bu | finished his course IN
1913 / prepared to take my degree IN bcrhn i"o
war however. intcrfcrcd with my plans IN inc
autumn was in Thuringia and. being unable to got
back was obliged 10 present myself for degree nj
jena The subject Of my thcsi' was 'tebcr dIe Wy
fache Wurzel dcs Satzes vom Znreichenden "Tuho"'
The following winner | passed in Wcim'r, where
entoycd acquaintance and association with Goethe nc
Intimate as was possible with difference Of thirty
nine years in age This association was beneficial
10 me- At the same time Friedrich Majcr. the
Oricntast introduced to the mysteries o. ancient
india That knowledge has had considerable In
fuence upon my life.
.trom 1914 70 Isis j Ivci as n private 4 III IN
Dresden using the art faleics and Urary 90
studies o; various kinds AMI letting tho cltS
take their con s. in the boauti nj nj h1oi1Hc
country. As an cpl ode Of my ljourn there my
be mentioned my treatise upon tights and c3lr'
which appeared in 1916. During h SO fou years
which srent in Dresden. my phi 5 rhcal syst M
without effort on my part rmei i.sclf II my lie d.
ray like. as n crystal cOnvercing 10 centr Ter
10 the system printed in the FIRST volume Il my prn-
cipal work die Welt ais Willie und Worst hung.
Books did mt help me: II wa the worli.
A, SON a, placed the manuscript in th' Lard
Of the printer travclcd-in the autumn 7 lr1S-o
Naples and Rome. Upon returning ] became
docent in the University Of Berlin, and was enrolled
among the doctors who had cn graduated here
I r,nd cctircs durnG the first semester. bn' nov.r
since tNt TIM, In the spring Of $50. m reorcr aglin
went lta'y ard did 10, return TT l72'' since
then have figured the lecturers In tie Berlin
catalogue. but have never performed SUCH duties.
In 1880 published Latin translation Ct nv "o
upon sight and coors for the Use OF foreig err II
vas subsequently, printed IN Tho t'ird I'm o. tn
SCRIPTURES ophthamoogci mnares I'd. Jusius Rn'ins'
In 1881. In or!er 70 escape tho cholera, ] came hr
Since then | lave remained here only because tie
climate agrees with and the comforts Of tho pia'e
please
- After remaining silent with The exception o. the
TRANSACTIONS since 1915. nursing M i1dinsti II on
account Of The neglect OF ny woik and the worship
NJ Heeel ! wrote nv .Ahhand unc ucber den Will'n
In der Naur here in 1896 ii Is work oI small
absolute weight. but Of great specific gravity a. II
contains the kernel If ne;apEy ,ics. the real nor
vus proband OF The idea. more "lelrly stated than
anywhere else In l7:'- and 1-;.9 wrote an answer
10 The Scandinavian prize questions. which apr"ar'f
in SAL rs Die Pcaen Grrrd .rotlcmc d r H.
In 1874 repnbished my principal work. incr'aS a
two fold. and in 1917 published corrected edition
o. my univ >ity dissertation.
Il have had the inestimabc fortune. FOR man o.
my kind. Of knowing always that my exist >n,e WIS
assured and thus was never compelled 10 w'rH for
money or seek an Office This gave INC the 'min-
terrlptct possession q tine and poe wit' out
which works such rs mine cann)t be produced.
Il hope. honorcd professor. that have given you
more material than You need, that you can SIT
out that which ought t. be used. because. ~ you
gave honest expression 10 your purpose ana intHn-
lions. l have given you As much Information as
possible"
In order complete the record begun by printing
this letter the librarian, I'm h. article. says that
schopcn IaueI va, not nj ell pleased With the repre-
sentaton OF his philosophc system which followed
lis biography IN Eidmnnn's work. He wrote let
ter on October -, 1873 t. Johann August Becker.
his Oldest disciple (acrwari judgr Of the IIcssian
SQUIRT OF appeals. which read follows
Tho sccoad volume Cf Ednann's 'IIi,t ~ OF
Philosophy Since Kant haS apparel II contains
thirty seven pages devoted 10 presentation Of ms
system Of philosophy with nv biography II t. non
scnsical stuff with malice likely aud contains sew.
eral les Edmann did not relish tho iticsr q
his work upon which he spent many Years