204 Kant: A Biography
Kant's philosophical theories seem to have caught up with his life. At
forty-six, Kant had formulated the beginnings of his philosophical jus¬
tification of the character he had begun to develop six years earlier. Yet it
was only a beginning. It would take another fifteen years of hard work
before he published his final views on these matters, and when he did so,
he talked so much of pure reason, the categorical imperative, and duty that
character did not seem to be as important to him as it really is.
Herr Professor: "They Went to Kant's
Lectures to Gain a Reputation"As a Magister, Kant had to give many lectures just to support himself.
Though his position as sublibrarian gave him added income during the
latter half of the sixties, he still lectured twenty-two hours on five differ¬
ent subjects in 1770. He found this difficult. His health was poor.^55 To
Herz, who had left Königsberg for Berlin at the beginning of August, he
complained about "being overburdened with courses."^56 As soon as he
became "professor Kant," he could relax a little. From then on he could
lecture less. Still, he did not drastically reduce his teaching load. He still
taught sixteen hours most semesters, and sometimes more. Furthermore,
he had to teach more students than before.^37 The professorship brought
with it new duties. He had to give the public lectures that were required
of any full professor. It was not just the content of these lectures that was
prescribed, but also the time. Kant had to start lecturing at 7:00 A.M. Wak¬
ing up early was not easy for Kant — at least at first. Kant wrote later: "In
the year 1770, when I took up the professorship in logic and metaphysics
that made it necessary for me to begin lecturing at 7:00 A.M., I hired a
servant who had to wake me."^58 Until that time Kant had never lectured
before 8:00 A.M. SO one of the regularities in Kant's life was imposed on
him by the government. It was not his choice to get up so early; it was his
public duty.
Kant had already been lecturing on new topics beginning in the late
sixties. One of these was natural law, on which he lectured beginning in
1767, but not on a regular basis. Another subject he began to treat was
"philosophical encyclopedia, with a short history of philosophy," which he
taught six times between the winter semester of 1767—68 and the winter
semester of 1771— 72.^59 After his promotion he began to teach subjects he
really liked, like anthropology in 1772—73, and rational theology in 1774.^60
Especially the lectures on anthropology, which he would hold in every win-