Human, All Too Human, Part 26 summary
Part 26 of 152 · 2 min to read the part
In 26, the speaker argues that attempts to revive older beliefs expose weaknesses in newer movements, using Luther and Schopenhauer as examples. Yet Schopenhauer's return to Christian ways of understanding humanity also helps people judge the past more fairly, making renewed progress toward enlightenment possible.
What happens
- The speaker argues that powerful backward-looking thinkers expose the weakness of the new tendencies they resist.
- Luther's reformation shows that spiritual freedom remains immature and science cannot yet establish itself.
- Schopenhauer's teaching revives a medieval Christian outlook because the scientific spirit remains too weak to dominate.
- This return to older outlooks helps people understand Christianity and its Asiatic relatives with greater historical fairness.
- With historical judgment corrected, enlightenment can advance under the names Petrarch, Erasmus, and Voltaire.
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In this part
What to notice
The closing claim captures the argument's reversal: revisiting older beliefs can improve historical fairness and thereby help enlightenment advance.
Quick check
What benefit does the speaker find in Schopenhauer's return to older outlooks?
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