164 Kant: A Biographyliterary debate also proved to be important. Not all reading was literary, of
course. Acquisition of practical knowledge by its members also formed an
important part of a reading society's mission. Reading societies "adopted
a democratic organizational structure... the highest authority was the
general meeting, usually held on a monthly basis. ... As a rule, in addi¬
tion to the general assembly, there was also an elected committee con¬
sisting of a chairman, a treasurer and a secretary."^80 Egalitarianism
formed the basis of these societies. Class and rank were at the very least
supposed to be irrelevant, even if they were not always without their ef¬
fect. They were Enlightenment in practice — serious business, in other
words. Henriette Herz (1764-1847), the wife of Markus Herz, wrote late
in her life that "one read then differently from now." Reading was done in
"community." One bought fewer literary works, and one read them to¬
gether, talking about them with each other. "One had the goal of educating
oneself {sich zu bilden), a word which now has become almost one of
ridicule."^81 Because that is what people wanted, learned men and even fa¬
mous scholars did not think it violated their standing if they taught those
who wanted to learn. "Often they presented in a social and very mixed cir¬
cle what our scholars of today would think worthy only for their students
and other scholars."^82 That Kant felt it necessary to participate in such an
enterprise shows how seriously he took the concerns of the Enlighten¬
ment. It is probably no accident that his student and friend, Henriette's
husband, became active in very much the same way, but it is perhaps just
an accident that the literary societies in Berlin, and especially those con¬
nected with Henriette and Marcus, have received so much more attention
than the one in which Kant was involved.
The formal literary society was loosely connected to Kant's circle of
friends. This was not uncommon either. Literary friendship circles, in con¬
trast to literary societies, "often assumed the character of private literary,
or learned and philosophical, circles revolving completely around convivial
conversation or philosophical debate."^83 They were more pleasure than
business. That this was true of the Königsberg circle cannot be doubted.
We know what some of its meetings were like from Hippel's correspon¬
dence of the period. Sometime in 1767 he wrote to Scheffner:
professor Lindner has also acted magmfice, and has given a dinner one evening for the
professor Will, Amon, Kant, Hamann, my own insignificant self and Mr. Kanter. In
Friedrichstein W* was in his own element. As happy as a prince and witty as a poet of
dithyrambs [or wild Bacchanalian songs]. We extemporized a burlesque in which he
played his part so well that I became curious to see his pieces for the theater. As much