ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Alfred Schmidt (philosopher)

Alfred Schmidt was a man who liked to think about lots of big ideas. He was a philosopher, which means he liked to think about questions like "Why are we here?" and "What is the meaning of life?" He grew up in Germany, which is a country far away from here.

One of the things that Alfred Schmidt thought was really important was the way that people talk about things. He thought that sometimes people use words that don't really mean anything, or that they use words in ways that are confusing or unfair. For example, he thought that people in power might use words to deceive others, or to make themselves seem more important.

Alfred Schmidt also thought a lot about something called "alienation." This means feeling like you're not really a part of the world around you, like you're a stranger in your own life. He thought that modern life made people feel more alienated than ever before, because of things like work, technology, and consumerism.

Overall, Alfred Schmidt was a very smart man who thought a lot about big ideas. He tried to help people understand how language and society can affect our lives, and he wanted to find ways to make life more meaningful for everyone.