In theoretical regard Kant dismisses the idealism that declares the world to be a mere illusion. Practically, however, we should act as if it was true: We should consider the brevity and vanity of life, treat the world as a children's game and not take anything as important except our moral duty. This is the path to a constantly cheerful heart.

Quote: 0:08

Nothing in life has value except our morality: 0:22

Life is short and fleeting: 27:54

Mere life, measured by its pleasure, is worthless: 34:43

Practical idealism: 54:18

The power of imagination as condition of the possibility of practical idealism: 1:21:41

The constantly cheerful heart: 1:51:44

Abstraction as means to a happy life: 2:01:00

Thanks: 2:22:23

The posture of practical idealism and the constantly cheerful heart Kant discusses mainly in his works on anthropology, so in his Anthropology from a pragmatic point of view: http://korpora.org/kant/aa07/230.html, his lectures on anthropology: https://archive.org/details/kantsgesammeltes0000kant_a3n3 | https://archive.org/details/kantsgesammeltes0000kant_j8c0 and his handwritten estate on anthropology: http://korpora.org/kant/aa15/234.html. (I could not find any free English translations online) But also his lectures on logic deal with art at times, that is with the difference between the aesthetical and the logical: https://archive.org/details/kantsgesammeltes241imma/page/n5/mode/2up | https://archive.org/details/kantsgesammeltes242imma/page/n7/mode/2up (English translations exist, but unfortunately I couldn't find them for free on the internet.) You may also gain an impression of Kant's attitude towards life with its brevity and towards death through his Thoughts on the Occasion of Mr. Johann Friedrich von Funk’s Untimely Death https://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/84129/excerpt/9780521884129_excerpt.pdf

Whoever wants to support my aufkläring work can do so via:

https://ko-fi.com/jonathanivoloewer

https://www.patreon.com/jonathanivoloewer

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VDDT7T7XHR77U

Thumbnail: www.hotpot.ai