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Document Details : Title: Seneca in Königsberg Subtitle: Een analyse van Kants Gedanken bei dem frühzeitigen Ableben des Herrn Johann Friedrich von Funk Author(s): VAN EEKERT, Geert Journal: Bijdragen Volume: 70 Issue: 1 Date: 2009 Pages: 87-114 DOI: 10.2143/BIJ.70.1.2035295 Abstract : Recalling some recent publications (by Ulrike Santozki and Reinhard Brandt) on the influence of the Stoics on the development of Kant’s thought, this article intends to contribute to the knowledge of Kant’s appreciation of ancient authors by revealing the carefully hidden and hitherto unnoticed presence of Seneca behind one of Kant’s most peculiar pre-critical writings: Gedanken bei dem frühzeitigen Ableben des Hernn Johann Friedrich von Funk (1760). Kant not only appears to model this Trostschreiben on Seneca’s famous consolationes; it is also shown that he is constantly alluding to various philosophical writings of Seneca (one of his most favourite authors) such as De vita beata, De brevitate vitae, De tranquilitate animi, ad Polybium de consolatione, and especially ad Marciam de consolatione. In conclusion it is suggested that the results of this analysis not only reaffirm Kant’s profound acquaintance with Seneca (among others) and shed more light on the Kantian style in his popular writings, but can also have some importance for Kant’s (intellectual) biography. |
