--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a thoughtless and immodest…" description: "\"It is a thoughtless and immodest presumption to learn anything about art from philosophy. Some do begin as if they hoped to learnsomething new here, si..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlege_absolutes_it-is-a-thoughtless-and-immodest-presump_1606596.png" --- # It is a thoughtless and immodest presumption to learn… ![“It is a thoughtless and immodest presumption to learn anything about art from philosophy. Some do begin as if they hoped to learnsomething new here, since philosophy cannot and should not do anything further than develop the given art experiences and the existing art concepts into a science…” quote by Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlege_absolutes_it-is-a-thoughtless-and-immodest-presump_1606596.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlege_absolutes_it-is-a-thoughtless-and-immodest-presump_1606596.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlege_absolutes_it-is-a-thoughtless-and-immodest-presump_1606596.png) > “It is a thoughtless and immodest presumption to learn anything about art from philosophy. Some do begin as if they hoped to learnsomething new here, since philosophy cannot and should not do anything further than develop the given art experiences and the existing art concepts into a science, improve the views of art, and promote them with the help of a thoroughly scholarly art history, and produce that logical mood about these subjects too which unites absolute liberalism with absolute rigor.” [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning about art solely through philosophy is presumptuous; philosophy should support, not replace, direct artistic experience. **In simple terms:** Philosophy can’t replace direct art experience. Key Takeaway Value direct experience over abstract theory. Themes art philosophy education experience rigor Mood reflective critical intellectual Type analytical philosophical critical When to use this quote - art criticism - university curricula - museum guides - creative workshops Key Concepts Aesthetic theory epistemology liberalism Questions to Reflect On - How does direct engagement with art differ from theoretical study? - Can philosophy ever fully capture artistic intuition? A Different Perspective Philosophy may overlook the visceral, emotional impact of art. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-history/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mood/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Presumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presumption/) [Rigor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rigor/) ## Related quotes > [Only in the West did a philosophy develop that was not only no longer the love of wisdom but went so far as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/only-in-the-west-did-a-philosophy-develop-that-was-not-only-no-longer/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [“The term Greek philosophy, to begin with is a misnomer, for there is no such philosophy in existence. The ancient Egyptians had developed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-g-m-james/the-term-greek-philosophy-to-begin-with-is-a-misnomer-for-there-is-no/) George G.M. James > [One of two things is usually lacking in the so-called Philosophy of Art: either philosophy or art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/one-of-two-things-is-usually-lacking-in-the-so-called-philosophy-of/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [I love to learn, and at some level, there's something to learn from my books. And I love art and philosophy, so there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/i-love-to-learn-and-at-some-level-there-s-something-to-learn-from-my/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“And trade is art, and art's philosophy, In Paris.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/and-trade-is-art-and-art-s-philosophy-in-paris/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [“Lyotard remarked that post-Modern artists often function as philosophers. They may deal with issues of metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, as many influential critics today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mcevilley/lyotard-remarked-that-post-modern-artists-often-function-as/) [Thomas McEvilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mcevilley/) > [Everything we do is art, philosophy, mysticism, cultural commentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genesis-p-orridge/everything-we-do-is-art-philosophy-mysticism-cultural-commentary/) [Genesis P-Orridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genesis-p-orridge/) > [In their different ways, art and philosophy help us, in Schopenhauer's words, to turn pain into knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/in-their-different-ways-art-and-philosophy-help-us-in-schopenhauer-s/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I'm not an academic philosopher, and don't agree with the way the universities approach the subject. I'm a philosopher only in the very loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/i-m-not-an-academic-philosopher-and-don-t-agree-with-the-way-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [The greatest art is philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/the-greatest-art-is-philosophy/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [“What we encounter in works of art and philosophy are objective versions of our own pains and struggles, evoked and defined in sound, language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/what-we-encounter-in-works-of-art-and-philosophy-are-objective/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I made art a philosophy, and philosophy an art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-made-art-a-philosophy-and-philosophy-an-art/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [In mathematics and science we solve our problems as well as create them. But in art and philosophy things are not so simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/in-mathematics-and-science-we-solve-our-problems-as-well-as-create/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I made art a philosophy, and philosophy an art: I altered the minds of men, and the colour of things: I awoke the imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-made-art-a-philosophy-and-philosophy-an-art-i-altered-the-minds-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [We must strive to encourage East and West not only to move towards each other but also to encourage them to find a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nursultan-nazarbayev/we-must-strive-to-encourage-east-and-west-not-only-to-move-towards/) [Nursultan Nazarbayev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nursultan-nazarbayev/) ## More by Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel > [The symmetry and organization of history teaches us that mankind, during its existence and development, genuinely was and became an individual, a person. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-symmetry-and-organization-of-history-teaches-us-that-mankind/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Both in their origins and effects, boredom and stuffy air resemble each other. They are usually generated whenever a large number of people gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/both-in-their-origins-and-effects-boredom-and-stuffy-air-resemble/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Every good man progressively becomes God. To become God, to be man, and to educate oneself, are expressions that are synonymous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/every-good-man-progressively-becomes-god-to-become-god-to-be-man-and/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [The naive is what is or appears to be natural, individual, or classical to the point of irony or to the point of continuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-naive-is-what-is-or-appears-to-be-natural-individual-or-classical/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Women are treated as unjustly in poetry as in life. The feminine ones are not idealistic, and the idealistic not feminine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/women-are-treated-as-unjustly-in-poetry-as-in-life-the-feminine-ones/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [In every good poem everything must be both deliberate and instinctive. That is how the poem becomes ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/in-every-good-poem-everything-must-be-both-deliberate-and-instinctive/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Only he who possesses a personal religion, an original view of infinity, can be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/only-he-who-possesses-a-personal-religion-an-original-view-of/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Wit as an instrument of revenge is as infamous as art is as a means of sensual titillation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/wit-as-an-instrument-of-revenge-is-as-infamous-as-art-is-as-a-means/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Where philosophy ends, poetry must commence. There should not be a common point of view, a natural manner of thinking which standsin contrast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/where-philosophy-ends-poetry-must-commence-there-should-not-be-a/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Wit is an explosion of the compound spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/wit-is-an-explosion-of-the-compound-spirit/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Life is writing. The sole purpose of mankind is to engrave the thoughts of divinity onto the tablets of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/life-is-writing-the-sole-purpose-of-mankind-is-to-engrave-the/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Religion can emerge in all forms of feeling: here wild anger, there the sweetest pain; here consuming hatred, there the childlike smile of serene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/religion-can-emerge-in-all-forms-of-feeling-here-wild-anger-there-the/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [Women do not have as great a need for poetry because their own essence is poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/women-do-not-have-as-great-a-need-for-poetry-because-their-own/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [When the author has no idea of what to reply to a critic, he then likes to say: you could not do it better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/when-the-author-has-no-idea-of-what-to-reply-to-a-critic-he-then/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [One mentions many artists who are actually art works of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/one-mentions-many-artists-who-are-actually-art-works-of-nature/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) [Explore all 186 Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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