At that time, most university students came from the French-speaking upper class, with the nobility monopolizing the university. However, they did not cherish this place of knowledge but instead focused on indulgence, flattery, and elaborate etiquette.
To some extent, we have to thank Napoleon's cavalry for sweeping across Europe, casting the German States into the shadow of defeat at the beginning of the century. Although he brought the flames of war, he also awakened the German States. Faced with such a decay, everyone realized that the nation needed reform, and education needed reform as well.
Professor Herbart was a very cautious person. At the university, he rarely expressed his own political views. Rather than acting as a political leader, he preferred to be seen as a purely academic scholar. This was not only to avoid unnecessary trouble but also aligned with his educational philosophy.
