[lit-ideas] Re: Why Philosophy. (Was: On Nip Thievery)
- From: John Wager <john.wager1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:16:01 -0500
cblists@xxxxxxxx wrote:
Who was it who claimed that reading Kant *prevented* him from
committing suicide? (It was not that he was convinced by Kant's
prohibition of suicide, but relieved by his solution to problems
generated by contemplation of such notions as eternity and infinity.)
I draw a blank; I don't remember ever reading about such a person.
There IS a somewhat disturbing exchange of letters between Kant and
Maria von Herbert, a young woman who eventually did commit suicide.
There was an article written a few years ago by a feminist philosopher
who saw Kant's replies to her sincere questions about the categorical
imperative to be cold and indirectly connected to the young woman's
discontent with life, if not with her suicide.
The original article is here:
http://www.homepages.ed.ac.uk/rhl/maria.html
And one commentary is here:
http://endsofthought.blogspot.com/2008/04/feminist-critique-of-kant-langton-on.html
--
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"Never attribute to malice that which can be
explained by incompetence and ignorance."
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John Wager john.wager1@xxxxxxxxxxx
Lisle, IL, USA
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