10.
Among Germans I am immediately understood when I say that theological blood
is the ruin of philosophy. The Protestant pastor is the grandfather of German
philosophy; Protestantism itself is its peccatum
originale. Definition of Protestantism: hemiplegic paralysis of
Christianity—and of reason. ... One need only utter the words “Tubingen
School” to get an understanding of what German philosophy is at
bottom—a very artful form of theology. . . The Suabians are the best
liars in Germany; they lie innocently. . . . Why all the rejoicing over
the appearance of Kant that went through the learned world of Germany,
three-fourths of which is made up of the sons of preachers and
teachers—why the German conviction still echoing, that with Kant came a
change for the better? The theological instinct of German scholars
made them see clearly just what had become possible again. . . . A
backstairs leading to the old ideal stood open; the concept of the “true
world,” the concept of morality as the essence of the world (—the
two most vicious errors that ever existed!), were once more, thanks to a
subtle and wily scepticism, if not actually demonstrable, then at
least no longer refutable... Reason, the prerogative
of reason, does not go so far. . . Out of reality there had been made “appearance”.
an absolutely false world, that of being, had been turned into reality.
. . . The success of Kant is merely a theological success; he was, like
Luther and Leibnitz, but one more impediment to German integrity, already
far from steady.—
