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Otto Weininger (April 3, 1880 – October 4, 1903) was an Austrian philosopher. In 1903, he published the book Geschlecht und Charakter (Sex and Character) which gained popularity after his suicide at the age of 23. Today, the book is generally viewed as misogynistic and antisemitic in academic circles; however, it continues to be held up as a great work of lasting genius and spiritual wisdom by others. ------------ Sex and Character In his book Sex and Character, Weininger argues that all people are composed of a mixture of the male and the female substance, and attempts to support his view scientifically. The male aspect is active, productive, conscious and moral/logical, while the female aspect is passive, unproductive, unconscious and amoral/alogical. Weininger argues that emancipation should be reserved for the "masculine woman", e.g. some lesbians, and that the female life is consumed with the sexual function: both with the act, as a prostitute, and the product, as a mother. Woman is a "matchmaker". By contrast, the duty of the male, or the masculine aspect of personality, is to strive to become a genius, and to forego sexuality for an abstract love of the absolute, God, which he finds within himself. A significant part of his book is about the nature of genius. Weininger argues that there is no such thing as a person who has a genius for, say, mathematics, or music, but there is only the universal genius, in whom everything exists and makes sense. He reasons that such genius is probably present in all people to some degree. ... |
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... In a separate chapter, Weininger, himself a Jew who had converted to Christianity in 1902, analyzes the archetypical Jew as feminine, and thus profoundly irreligious, without true individuality (soul), and without a sense of good and evil. Christianity is described as "the highest expression of the highest faith", while Judaism is called "the extreme of cowardliness". Weininger decries the decay of modern times, and attributes much of it to feminine, and thus Jewish, influences. By Weininger's reckoning everyone shows some femininity, and what he calls "Jewishness". Weininger shot himself in the house in Vienna where Beethoven had died, the man he considered one of the greatest geniuses of all. This made him a cause célèbre, inspired several imitation suicides, and turned his book into a success. The book received glowing reviews by August Strindberg, who wrote that it had "probably solved the hardest of all problems", the "woman problem". ---------- The epitaph by his father translates: "This stone closes the resting place of a young man whose mind never really found peace on earth. And after imparting revelations of his mind and soul he could not bear any longer to be among the living. He searched for the death realm of one of the greatest minds that dwelled in the house in Schwarzspanierstrasse and put an end to his bodily existence." --------- ... |
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Physiognomy Weinigers friend Artur Gerber gave a description of Weininger's physiognomy in "ECCE HOMO", preface to "Taschenbuch und Briefe an einen Freund" (E. P. Tal & Co., Leipzig/Vienna 1922): Nobody who had once seen his face could ever forget it. The big dome of his forehead marked it. The face was peculiar looking because of the large eyes; the look in them seemed to surround everything. In spite of his youth, his face was not handsome, it was rather ugly. Never did I see him laugh or smile. His face was always dignified and serious. Only when he was outdoors in spring did it seem to relax, and then become cheerful and bright. At many concerts he would shine with happiness. In the most wonderful moments we spent together, particularly when he talked about an idea in which he was interested, his eyes were filled with happiness. Otherwise his face was impenetrable. One could never - except to the last few months - find in his face any hint of what was happening deep within his soul. The taut muscles would often move, and sharp wrinkles would appear on his face, as if they were caused by intolerable pain. I asked for the reason, he controlled himself at once, gave a vague or evasive answer, or talked about other matters, making further questioning impossible. His manners would occasionally elicit surprise, and often a smile, since he cared little for traditions and prejudices. The influence of his personality seemed strongest at night. His body seemed to grow; there was something ghostlike in his movements and there would be something demoniac in his manner. An when, as happened at times, his conversation became passionate, when he made a movement in the air with his stick or his umbrella as if he were fighting an invisible ghost, one was always reminded of a person from the imaginary circles of E. Th. A. Hofmann. |
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fuck that Nazi |
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otto the bus drivah |
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interesting! thanks for posting. I love it when you get a glimpse of the psychology of some of these philosophers. . . Kierkegaard and Nietzsche in particular. I think its funny- personally when I look beyond all of their elegant theories and dense prose i find it hard not to imagine the image of grumpy man waving his stick in the arm shouting "FUCK YOU ALL!" |
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whiny biatch |
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tis not Nietzsche, tis 23 yo nerd of the 00's |
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it was somewhat interesting until: Christianity is described as "the highest expression of the highest faith". i stopped reading at this point. |
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yip i picked that up thanks. |
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Why is genius such an important function of humanity or life in general? Why are people so concerned about it, really? I must not really know what genius is, i always thought it was someone who has a high I.Q. and/or technically superior at what they do. Do philosophers argue that Genius is the key to life or something? I know Neitschze loved the topic of Genius and morality. |
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