the vocation of man

[...]... assuredly not the manifestation of one primordial power, but only a consequence of the combined operation of various powers The plant, a particular mode or maniwhen left festation of the formative-power of Nature, to itself, proceeds from the ripening of the seed festation of all the when Man, a first mode from birth to death Hence, the duration of the in old age or mani- powers of Nature in their union,... in the first place, these — do not exist in and for themselves, they are something else, attributes of a substance, forms of something formed; and the supposition of such a substance, of a something which shall support qualities qualities of these attributes, — of a substratum for them, to use the phraseology of the Schools, — is a necessary condi- tion of the conceivableness of such qualities Further,... possible forms mode the I, animal, a particular or manifestation of the power of motion am besides these I also a particular of the thinking-power ; — is mode ; and or manifesta- and the union of these three into one harmonious de- original powers into one, velopment, like or manifestation of — the d^tinguishing characteristic of my species, as it is the distinguishing characteristic of the plant species... deduce the one from the other, and calculate the result beforehand, and the examination of my the result had proved the accuracy of have I been satisfied Therefore I assured of the accuracy of this part of my own calculations, am now my as well knowledge, walk with a firm step in world, and do actually every moment venture welfare and life itself on the as of existence ; I these understood spheres of certainty... to be merely a mode or manifestation of the plant-forming power Figure, motion, thought, in me, are not dependent on each other, and consequent on each other so that I think, and thereby conceive of the forms and motions of surrounding objects in such or such a manner, because they are so or on the other hand, that they ; — ; are so, because I so conceive of them; all — but they are simultaneous and... ceptions is con- determined by the position which he assumes in the universe; their clearness and by the vitality, higher or lower degree of efficiency manifested by the power of humanity in his person Give to Nature the determination of one single element of a person, let it — seem to be ever so trivial, the course of a muscle, the turn of a hair, and she could tell thee, had she a universal consciousness,... aspiration of these powers reality because it is is, in consciousness, inclination or desire of contending powers one in irresolution ; the determination of the Will is which is strives after activity common with ; the struggle the victory of If the power be only that which we have the plant or the animal, there arises a division and degradation of our inward being desire is unworthy of our rank ; the in the. .. necessary results of the connected system of The virtuous ; — vicious, the universe Repentance is the consciousness of the continued of humanity within me, even after it has been overcome, associated with the disagreeable sense of effort having been subdued ; a disquieting but From pledge of our nobler nature still precious this consciousness of the fundamental impulse of our nature, arises the sense which... were able to reply to thee, all the thoughts which could belong to this person during the whole period of his conscious existence — In this system sciousness also, which we A the phenomenon of our con- call Will, becomes thoroughly in- immediate consciousness of the activity of any of the powers of Nature within us The immediate consciousness of an effort, an telligible volition is the — which has not... operations of outward things upon me, by means of which they are supposed to pour in upon me a knowledge which is not in themselves and cannot flow forth from them The ground upon which I assume the existence of something beyond myself, does not lie out of myself, but within me, in the limitation of my own personality By means of this limitation, the thinking principle of Nature within me proceeds out of itself, . written at Berlin in 1799, after his retirement from the University of Jena, and at the commencement of that period of profound study which afterwards resulted in the complete elaboration of his theory of the Absolute. In the present work we dis- cover. few years ago under the title of " The Destination op Man. " The anxious wish of the translator that a full and accurate edition of these writings should be placed in the hands of the English reader,. the result beforehand, and the examination of the result had proved the accuracy of my calculations, have I been satisfied. Therefore I am now as well assured of the accuracy of this part of my knowledge, as of my