"Considered subjectively, philosophy always begins in the middle, like an epic poem"
- Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
About this Quote
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel's quote suggests that philosophy is not a linear process, but rather a cyclical one. It implies that philosophy is not a linear progression from one point to another, but rather a continuous cycle of ideas and concepts. This idea is similar to the concept of the "eternal return" in which the same events and ideas are repeated in an endless cycle. Schlegel's quote suggests that philosophy is not a linear process, but rather a continuous cycle of ideas and concepts that are constantly being re-examined and re-evaluated. This idea is further reinforced by the comparison to an epic poem, which is often composed of multiple stories and characters that are intertwined and repeated throughout the poem. By comparing philosophy to an epic poem, Schlegel is suggesting that philosophy is a complex and ever-evolving process that is constantly being re-examined and re-evaluated.
"The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion"
"Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them"
"The second, and I think this is the much more overt and I think it is the main cause, I have been increasingly demonstrating or trying to demonstrate that every possible stance a critic, a scholar, a teacher can take towards a poem is itself inevitably and necessarily poetic"
