There is a widespread cliché image of Kant: a pedantic, conscientious man, supposedly so punctual that you could set your clock by him. Yet, that does not hold true for his younger years. However, in his later life, Kant did lead a strictly regulated existence, with the same activities always assigned to fixed times of the day. This transition was a conscious decision in order to devote the rest of his life to writing his books. In this regard, Kant was presumably inspired by his best friend, the Englishman Joseph Green, whom he visited daily until his death in 1786.
Kant now increasingly withdrew from public life, but even in this everyday life, socialising still played a part in his routine. At the age of 63, he established his daily dining circle.