auenr. iears 219may well be explainable by the fact that there are more metaphysicians here than at
other universities. He offered now a course, which was greatly appreciated, and which
had as its goal to provide his students with correct concepts of men, their actions, and
from the manifold events and acts that happen in human life. Various stories and an¬
ecdotes gave spice to these lectures and made them still more instructive and popular.
Herr Kant had not published philosophical writings for a long time, but he promised
that he would soon bring out a little volume (Bändchen).nbThe "little volume" of which Bernoulli speaks would of course be the Cri¬
tique. Kant himself in the summer of 1778 had no idea how long the book
would become. Perhaps he did believe that the many sketches he had col¬
lected could be condensed into a rather short version.
Kant's friendship with Green was also an important factor in his deci¬
sion to stay in Königsberg. He frequently went to visit Green's house in
the afternoon. By the seventies, Green relied almost entirely on his asso¬
ciate Motherby for his business. Since Motherby paid more attention to it
than Green had, the business increased more and more in importance.
Kant and Green were very close at this time. He is reported to have dis¬
cussed every sentence in the Critique with Green.^117 If these discussions
were important to Kant — and by all accounts they were — he could not have
left Königsberg during the seventies for that very reason alone.
The conversations with Green and his guests formed an important
part of Kant's life then. For it was through Green that Kant got to know
a number of other people. First among those was Motherby. In fact, every
Sunday, Kant and Green went together to Motherby's for dinner. Another,
less likely friend of Kant, who also regularly visited Green, Motherby, and
Hay, was the Pastor Sommer, who knew English very well. Sommer was also
a good friend of Hamann, Hippel, and Kraus. Indeed, Hamann called Som¬
mer Kraus's "shadow."^118 During the "earlier years, Sommer also partic¬
ipated in journeys to the country, which were attended by Kant as well."^119
Reinhold Bernard Jachmann, Kant's biographer, and his brother Johann
Benjamin Jachmann, both students of Kant, also belonged to the circle of
acquaintances that met at the houses of these British merchants.^120
These social bonds were not all that held Kant in Königsberg. He also
felt that the city was perfect for him in other ways. Writing to Herz, he
explained:
I got all that I wished for, namely a peaceful situation that is exactly fitted to my needs:
in turn occupied with work, speculation, and society, where my easily affected, but
otherwise carefree, mind and my even more capricious body, which however is never
sick, will be occupied without strain. All change makes me anxious, even if it seems to