We can come to look upon the deaths of our enemies with as much regret as we feel for those of our friends, namely, when we miss their existence as witnesses to our success.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
Patriotism, when it wants to make itself felt in the domain of learning, is a dirty fellow who should be thrown out of doors.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the influence of patriotism on education and intellectual freedom.
Schopenhauer argues that patriotism, when applied to the pursuit of knowledge, becomes a negative force that hinders open-mindedness and critical thinking. He suggests that such a form of nationalism in academia should be rejected, as it corrupts the integrity of learning and inquiry.
Themes
PatriotismLearningEducationNationalismFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on ethics, one might cite this quote to illustrate the dangers of allowing nationalism to influence scientific progress.
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Life is full of troubles and vexations, that one must either rise above it by means of corrected thoughts, or leave it.
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Our religions will never at any time take root; the ancient wisdom of the human race will not be supplanted by the events in Galilee. On the contrary, Indian wisdom flows back to Europe, and will produce a fundamental change in our knowledge and thought.
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We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people when we acquire a knowledge of the superficial nature of their thoughts, the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors. Whoever attaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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