Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel Quotations

Only he who possesses a personal religion, an original view of infinity, can be an artist.

What do the few existing mystics still do? -- They more or less mold the raw chaos of already existing religion. But only in an isolated, insignificant manner, through feeble attempts. Do it in a grand manner from all aspects with unified efforts, and let us awaken all religions from their graves, newly revivify and form the immortal ones through the omnipotence of art and science.

To disrespect the masses is moral; to honor them, lawful.

Poetry should describe itself, and always be simultaneously poetry and the poetry of poetry.

Laziness is the one divine fragment of a godlike existence left to man from paradise.

All artists are self-sacrificing human beings, and to become an artist is nothing but to devote oneself to the subterranean gods.

One of two things is usually lacking in the so-called Philosophy of Art: either philosophy or art.

When ideas become gods, consciousness of harmony becomes devotion, humility, and hope.

If you want to see mankind fully, look at a family. Within the family minds become organically one, and for this reason the family is total poetry.

Since philosophy now criticizes everything it comes across, a critique of philosophy would be nothing less than a just reprisal.