the Vocation of the Scholar

This book [available from that link online for free] by Enlightenment-era German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte* is a rigorous examination of its title theme, as presented in a series of five lectures. They proceed as follows:

1. the vocation of man - in a general sense, being the harmonisation of the Ego so that it can intellectually & sensibly apprehend things in the world & also promote their harmonisation.
2. the vocation of man in society - expanding on the first lecture in application to the reality that all Ego finds itself in world where other free & rational beings exist: this being society, which through coordination of diversity & resultant cooperation leads us to mutual perfection.
3. the distinction of classes in society - a relatively convoluted attempt to discern the cause of social inequalities between free rational beings, followed by a moral exhortation that overcoming such is the chief end of society.**
4. the vocation of the scholar - a specific examination of the unique vocation of scholarship in promoting the cultural unity & moral perfection of humankind through progressive development & communication of knowledge in pursuit of truth.
5. I didn't read this one as it's a commentary on works by Rousseau which I have no familiarity with.

   I found Fichte remarkably easy to read, many thanks to the translator - and overall this is a very stimulating & edifying book urging anyone engaged in the human vocation of scholarship to take seriously the responsibilities of their intellectual activity. Worth checking out if that sounds interesting to you, it's pretty short.

* He wins the prize for Most German Name of Enlightenment philosophers I have yet read.

** Karl Marx read Fichte, & it shows.