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African Spir Quotes
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Afrikan Aleksandrovich Spir was a Russian neo-Kantian philosopher of German-Greek descent who wrote primarily in German. His book Denken und Wirklichkeit exerted a "lasting impact" on the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche. Wikipedia  

✵ 15. November 1837 – 26. March 1890
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African Spir: 98   quotes 1   like

African Spir Quotes

“Possessions of this world have not been for the exclusive use by such or such category of individuals.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 52.

World

“At this point, here is a parenthesis about the life of the author, which joined the deed to the word: Hélène included to the book on her father, a very short Appendix, "Le devoir d'abolir la guerre", which was taken from the second volume of the Germen works or Spir, and had previously been reproduced, I quote, "in the Jounal de Genève, 15 November 1920, at the time of the maiden Assembly of the United Nations, which Spir has, lately (not long ago, "naguère", Fr.) so much called for (or invite to think about) of all his wishes." ("tant appelée de ses voeux", Fr). The following is a footnote added to this text, that Spir published in the first edition of Recht und Unrecht, in 1879, as an Appendix, under the title of "Considération sur la guerre" - and which was published again in 1931, in Propos sur la guerre. : "To declare (or say) that the establishment of international institutions intended (or used) to settle (or solve) conflicts among people without having recourse to war, this is purely gratuitious affirmation. What sense (or meaning) can it be to declare impossible, something that has been neither wished (or wanted, "voulue", Fr.) seriously, nor tried to put into practice? In truth, there are not any impossibility here, no more of a material order than of a metaphysical order. ("En vérité, il n'y a ici aucun impossibilité, pas plus d'ordre matériel que d'ordre métaphysique", Fr). Supposing that all responsible potentates, ministers and leaders were to be warned (or were given formal notice? - "soient mis en demeure de", Fr.) to agree concerning the establishment (or creation) of international organizations with peaceful workings ("à rouages pacifiques", Fr.), they would not be very long to come to an agreement on the ways and means ("voies et moyens", Fr.) to come to settle the problem. And, indeed, how insoluble could be a problem, that requires nothing else than some good will here and there? It is not a question here of fighting against a terrestrial power, hostile to human beings and independent of their will; it is only for men a matter of overcoming their own passions, et their harmful prejudices. ("En cela", Fr.) In this, would it be more difficult than to kill one's fellow men by the hundred of thousands, de destroy entire (or whole) countries et inflict (or impose) crushing expanses to one own people?"”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), pp. 64-65 - end of parenthesis.

Life , Men , Hostility , War

“The realization of justice is, in the actual state of things, a matter of life or death for society and for civilisation itself.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 55.

Life , Death , Justice

“Whether we had a (good) moral intuition more developed, we would be as much morally disgusted by the rapacity of those who try to benefit from, and monopolize (or secure or corner), having no consideration (regardless or irrespective of) for others ("autrui", Fr.), than we physically are by a sickening (or nauseating) smell.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 43.

“It is to our lack of proper content ("notre manque de contenu propre », Fr.), of our inner emptiness that we need occupations and distractions, otherwise ("faute de quoi", Fr.) we experience boredom, which is nothing elses than the feeling of unease that take hold of us when our spirit is not absorbed by the mirages of life.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 56.

Life , Feeling

“It must be all the same to the citizens ("ressortissants", Fr.) of a country that their governing (those in power) speak such language or such other ("telle langue ou telle autre", Fr.); likewise that it must be all the same to them that these adhere to such or such religion, so long as a full (or complete) liberty is equally garantee for everyone.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 54.

Religion , Country

“The more a man is successful in getting out (or coming out) from his own individuality, of his egoist self, and to control (or dominate) the instincts of his physical nature, the more his character, by rising above material contingencies, widen, become free and independent.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 60.

Nature , Success

“It goes without saying that only inner greatness possess a true value ("une valeur véritable,", Fr.). Any attempt to rise up (or at rising up, - "s'élever", Fr.) outwardly above others, or to want (or wish) to impose one's superiority, denote a lack of moral greatness, since we do not try to replace ("suppléer", Fr.) in that way (…. in French "par là", Fr.) to what, if we did really possess it, would have no need whatsoever to flaunt itself.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 51.

Way

“The concept of absolute, hence (or whence) springs, in the moral field, the moral laws or norms, represent, in the field of knowledge, the principle of identity, which is the fundamental law of the thought; norms of logic springs from it, that govern the thought (or mind) in the field of science.”

African Spir

"Le concept de l'absolu, d'où découlent, dans le domaine moral, les lois ou normes morales, constitue, le principe d'identité, qui est la loi fondamentale de la pensée; il en découle les normes logiques qui régissent la pensée dans le domaine de la science."
Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 59 [Hélène Claparède-Spir had underlined - the translator]

Law , Spring , Knowledge , Science

“What is the use for a man to have at his disposal a large field of action, if within himself he remains confine to the narrow limits of his individuality.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 49.

“To sacrifice the moral to the physical, as is done in these days, is to sacrifice reality for a shadow.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 61.

Reality

“The belief that the conditioned derives from the unconditioned, wrong from right, represent the most fatal error and the one most fraught with consequences that is ("et la plus lourde de conséquences qui soit", Fr.) This believe gave rise (or engender) incalculable harms; it has obliterated (or obstructed or cancelled) the religious consciousness and warped the moral judgement; morevoer, it has created an abyss between science and religion, and brought generations of men to atheism.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 40.

Men , Religion , Error , Science

“The more gifted by nature is a man, the more is deplorable the abuse that he does by using them to shameful ends. A swindler (or crook) of higher condition is more blameworthy than a vulgar scoundrel; an intelligent eveil-doer, having benefited from a higher education, represent a more saddening phenomenon ("phénomène", Fr.) than an unfortune illiterate fellow having commited an offence.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 48.

Education , Intelligence , Nature

“When under the influence of certain (or some) reasons (or causes) (alcohol, war, etc - added Spir here) the low instincts are unbridled (or unrestrained), the brute appears (or come forward, "apparait", Fr.) and rule over (or dominate), stifling every ("toute", Fr.) noble, generous impulse; it is then the ruin (or downfall or decline) of any humanity in man.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 48.

War , Alcohol , Appearance

“The feeling ("sens", Fr.) of solidarity that is born amidst a community rest on the feeling of antagonism arouse (aroused? arose?… sorry, - "suscité", Fr.) by those who are opposed to it. Most of the time we only adhere to a party or a group, in order to better (or more, - "pour mieux se", Fr.) differentiate ourselves of another.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 42.

Feeling , Communication , Time

“If we recognize, following the materialist theories, that only the physical nature exist, and that man contain ("renferme", Fr.) no higher essence, divine, which, by one side of his being, raise (promote or improve…) him above his animal nature, it would be a question ("il ne saurait être question", Fr.) neither of obligation, nor of moral responsability; then the supreme good would consist for him, indeed, to satisfy his appetites and his natural inclinations (fondness or partiality, -"penchant", Fr.), to look for the pleasure and flee from (scud, shun, avoid, -"fuir", Fr.) pain. In this case, there could be neither religion nor moral, since religion is precisely what raise man above vulgar (or common, - "vulgaire", Fr.) reality, and that moral is the very negation of selfishness.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 41.

Pain , Pleasure , Religion , Question

“The most sacred duty, the supreme and urgent work, is to deliver humanity from the malediction of Cain - fratricidal war.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 51.

War

“The moral improvement demands an evolution leading to a higher consciousness”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 60 - Hélène's Claparède-Spir underlined.

“If the confusion of spirits, obsession of consciousness ("obnubilation of…", Fr.), abandonment of religious and moral principles was to become widespread, the consequences could be become such that we would finally see crop up ("on verrait…surgir", Fr.) in the very heart of the civilisation, a new and apalling barbarism capable to engulf (or engulfing, - "engloutir," Fr.) all the acquisitions of the past.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 37.

Past , Heart

“Besides the progress of industry and technique, we see a growing discontent among the masses; we see, besides the expansion ("expansion,", Fr.) of instruction, distrust and hatred expanding among nations ("s'étendre la méfiance et la haine entre," Fr.), that vie with one another ("qui rivalisent à l'envi," Fr.), by the increase of their armies and the improvement of their engines of murder”

African Spir

"engins meurtriers", Fr
Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 37 - third thought of the book, the translator.

“Infringing upon (or encroaching) the right of a single person, we overthrow (or turn upside down) the whole order on which rest legal agreements; for if we break (or transgress or violate) the undertakings enter unto ("les engagements contractés", Fr.), nothing assure that we will not break them, possibly ("éventuellement", Fr.) in another.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 45.

Personality

“Whoever has recognized the vainglory of individuality will not attach any store ("n'attachera aucun prix à", Fr.) to fame. The only one thing which is really valuable, it is to do good.”

African Spir

From the Esquisse biographique, by Hélène Claparède-Spir, p. 17.
Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937)

“(Generally or) Men in general are too inclined to let themselves be overawed by what is quantitatively great. It is thus that even thoughtful minds let themselves be impressed ("éblouis", Fr.) by the strenght of Napoléon 1st, to much so that (to the point that) seeing (to see) in his person something august (or majestic), when indeed (in fact) he only have had ("il n'ait eu que", Fr.) selfish aims (or plans). Half the earth ("globe terrrstre", Fr.) is put to fire and sword to obtain to a man the pleasant sensation of his own absolute power.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 43.

Men , Personality , Selfishness

“A man, engaged in his simple reflections in everyday life, will comprehend neither the possibility, nor the benefits of self-sacrifice, but, when given ("qu'on lui donne", Fr.) a great cause to defend, and he will find only natural to sacrifice oneself for it.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 53.

Life , Nature

“Nothing depict better the poverty of human nature than to see men, placed at the head of a State, and who should, so to speak, embody (or personnify) the law, be concerned (or worried, or preccupied) only with their own prestige and their own particular interests.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 51.

Men , Law , Nature

“The antagonism between nationalities will lose all its acuteness on the day when neither the iniquitous tendency to oppression and domination, nor the perpetual danger of the threatening preparations for war will exist.”

African Spir

"L'antagonisme entre les nationalités perdra toute son acuité le jour où n'existera plus la tendance inique à l'oppression et à la domination, ni le perpétuel danger des menaçants préparatifs de guerre. », Fr. "
Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 54.

War

“Morality, to be effective, has to be well-reasoned. To want to repress evil only by coercion, and to obtain morality by a kind of education using constraint, without motivating it from within, is to make an artificial thing, devoid of lasting value.”

African Spir

Source: Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir (1937), p. 59.

Motivation , Education , Making love , Evil