Faith as Hope. And Love

Abstract

In the late spring of 1789 the budding Russian poet and author Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin embarked on a lengthy journey. In France there were the first stirrings of the revolution, but the periphery of Europe still slumbered; the young man travelled leisurely, with long stops, in the westerly direction. He kept a diary, in which he entered his travel impressions as they occurred to him. Königsberg surprised him by its sheer size. He entered the city on a market day, and the streets were swarming with noisy, festive crowds. Everywhere there were bright uniforms, light blue and dark blue, green with orange, red and white facings. Karamzin had to have his dinner with a group of officers; the conversation was about the parade which had just ended; vulgar jokes flew about, and there was uproarious laughter. The poet found the whole thing not at all to his liking: he had very little respect for the art of war and he had not come to Königsberg in order to become familiar with the Prussian army.

How terrible is a God without morality.

— Kant