The Elegant Magister 135this was the period during which they met often."^172 Kant was, in other
words, a central figure in Königsberg social circles. He had great promise,
but there were questions about whether he would fulfill it. Hamann him¬
self found it necessary to assure Mendelssohn in Berlin that "Kant is a
man who loves the truth as much as the tactfulness of good society."^173 He
was far from sure, however. Some of Kant's friends had a loose lifestyle, and
this seemed to influence Kant. Hamann felt Kant could go one way just
as well as the other: he could lose himself completely in social diversions;
or he could make something more solid of his "bright ideas." The "wild"
philosopher might turn out something worthy, and he might not.
Kant's Philosophical Works of the Period:
"Traces of His Spirit"When Kant first began teaching at the university, he had already published
a number of books, dissertations, and articles. During the years between
1756 and 1762 he published only three pamphlets, advertising his lectures,
and one essay of a personal nature. These were the "Announcement of a
Lecture in Physical Geography" (Easter 1757), the "New Doctrine of Mo¬
tion and Rest" (Easter 1758), "Considerations on Optimism" (fall 1759),
and the "Thoughts at the Occasion of the Premature Death of Sir Johann
Friedrich von Funk" (1760). All of these were occasional pieces. They give
us some insight into Kant's concerns during this period, but they hardly
constitute a substantial contribution to philosophy — nor were they meant
to. They were for local consumption, not meant to further his stature as
an author. Indeed, part of the reason for the later increase in Kant's pro¬
ductivity may also have had to do with Johann Jakob Kanter (1738-1786),
the enterprising book dealer, who began publishing his own books at this
time and had need for new publications.^174
At the end of this period of Kant's life, by contrast, he published five
much more significant works, not only meant for a wider audience, but also
intended to be original contributions to the philosophical discussion of
the time. These are The False Subtlety of the Four Syllogistic Figures (1762),
the Attempt to Introduce the Concept of Negative Magnitudes into Philosophy
(1763), The Only Possible Argument in Support of a Demonstration of God's
Existence (1763), the Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sub¬
lime (1764), and the Inquiry Concerning the Distinctness of the Principles of
Natural Theology and Morality (1764), the so-called "Prize Essay." Apart
from these more substantive works, Kant also published a short "Essay on