Fragment 4

To study for oneself - the private scholar (Privatgelehrter) is someone who enjoys reading and writing for their own pleasure. They don’t work for anyone, except for themselves. No reward is needed, other than the sense of quiet contentment which accompanies a life lived with curiosity and intent. Spinoza was the quintessential private scholar, refusing to be paid for his intellectual work and making money grinding lenses. Likewise, Michel de Montaigne wrote that his studies were primarily for his own benefit, and yet he hoped they would benefit others as well. Of course we must all make a living, and yet the key is to do so without compromising ourselves completely. The goal is to find a way to finance our lives whilst nurturing our souls. One way to do so, is to never stop learning and reading, filling our lives with books and art, poetry and philosophy. This is what Spinoza referred to more broadly as an amor intellectualis dei, or living in accordance with one’s nature. To be a private scholar means to live and create fearlessly; not by creating value, but by valuing creation.