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Quote by Victor Cousin

Work

The Philosophy of the Beautiful

This book delves into the philosophical underpinnings of beauty, examining its role in art, nature, and human experience across different societies and epochs. more

Author

Victor Cousin
Victor Cousin

Victor Cousin (November 28, 1792 – January 14, 1867) was a prominent French philosopher, educator, and politician of the 19th century. He is best known as the founder of eclecticism, a philosophical approach that sought to reconcile different traditions, particularly German idealism and French Enlightenment thought. Cousin served as a professor at the École Normale Supérieure and later as France's Minister of Public Instruction, where he reformed the educational system by emphasizing philosophy in schools. His major works include "On the True, the Beautiful, and the Good" and "Course of the History of Philosophy." He played a key role in introducing German philosophy to France and influenced the development of psychology and pedagogy. Despite criticisms of lacking originality, Cousin's impact on French intellectual life and education remains significant. more

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“My self . . . is a dramatic ensemble. Here a prophetic ancestor makes his appearance. Here a brutal hero shouts. Here an alcoholic bon vivant argues with a learned professor. Here a lyric muse, chronically love-struck, raises her eyes to heaven. Her papa steps forward, uttering pedantic protests. Here the indulgent uncle intercedes. Here the aunt babbles gossip. Here the maid giggles lasciviously. And I look upon it all with amazement, the sharpened pen in my left hand.”

“He [Bernardo Bertolucci] has the kind of talent that breaks one's heart: where can it go, what will happen to it? In this country we encourage 'creativity' among the mediocre, but real bursting creativity appalls us. We put it down as undisciplined, as somehow 'too much.' Well, Before the Revolution is too much and that is what is great about it. Art doesn't come in measured quantities: it's got to be too much or it's not enough.”