Arbitrariness and true liberty are as distinct from each other that the empirical nature is distinct from the higher nature of man.
AFRIKAN SPIRTo reform society, and with it humanity, there is only one mean; to transform the mentality of men, to direct them (“les orienter”, Fr.) in a new spirit.
More Afrikan Spir Quotes
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In life we only try to produce, to win, and enjoy the more we can; in science, to discoverand invent the more we can; in religion, to dominate (or rule over) on the greatest number of people we can; whereas the forming of the character.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Place (or put) a spider on top of a mountain, it will only try to catch flies; alas, they are many those who, in the figurative meaning, have spider’s eyes.
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For if we do not take it upon ourselves to remedy in time to the moral colapse (or bankruptcy) that already threaten, the whole civilisation will risks to disappear.
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In which (or where) everyone is mainly (or mostly) trying to assert oneself in front of others (“devant les autres”, Fr.), to appear, and hoping to find in society (“mondaine”, Fr.) relationships some advantages for his interest and vanity (or vainglory or conceit”, Fr).
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It depends on ourselves to be to each others, either a blessing or a torment.
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It is only on these principles that we will be able to establish (“pourront être édifiées”, Fr.) the real basis of morality.
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The concept of absolute, hence (or whence) springs, in the moral field, the moral laws or norms, represent, in the field of knowledge.
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The basic notion of justice, is that the rights of everybody are equals, in principle. In the rights of others, we have to respect our own rights. It is only in that condition that we can reasonnably require that it be respected by others.
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The realization of justice is, in the actual state of things, a matter of life or death for society and for civilisation itself.
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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.
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Experience shows that what great role pratice and experience play in education; pratice, the prolonged exercice lead to habit: exemple suggests imitation.
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If we do turn (direct, aim, – “dirige”, Fr.) life in time the social life in new directions (or ways, – “dans des voies nouvelles”, Fr.)
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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.
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Having no consideration (regardless or irrespective of) for others (“autrui”, Fr.), than we physically are by a sickening (or nauseating) smell.
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If man do not find in himself the required (or wished, or wanted, – “voulue”, Fr.) force to accomplish his moral aspirations, he can try to purt himself in the conditions suitable to assist (or promote, or further, -“favoriser”, Fr.) his self-control.
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The fact that men have a same origin and live in the same universe means that they are representatives of a same unity.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
The precept to worship God ‘in spirit and in truth’ recommand to worship him as an inward and moral force, without physical attributes and with no relation to fears and egoist wishes.
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The military predominace of Sparte. This example proves that man can everything on themselves when they want it (“peuvent tout sur eux-mêmes quand ils le veulent”, Fr.); therefore it would only be a question of making them will the good.
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There is only one thing in the world that is really valuable, it is to do good.
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If pity was always equally alive and acting in all individuals and in all circumstances, we could do away with moral. Unfortunately, it is not compassion, but rather it’s contrary, selfishness, that act most strongly in us.
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Moral improvement (or perfecting) require an evolution leading to a higher consciousness, which is the true torch of life; it is what we have failed too much to appreciate, and that which would be fatal to fail to appreciate any longer (“pluslongtemps”, Fr.).
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Thus the moral consciousness is an innate and intimate revelation of the absolute, which goes beyond (or goes pass, or exceed) every empirical data (or given information).
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Men spend their life down here in the worship of petty (or mean) interests and the search of perishable things, and with that (“et avec cela”, Fr.) they pretend to perpetuate for all eternity their self (“moi”, Fr.) so hardly worthy (“digne”, Fr.) of it.
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What we take for vainglory, ambition, love of power and riches (or wealth), is often, indeed, a need to mask this emptiness, a need to let one’s hair down (or to live it up), to put oneself on a false scent or trail. (de se donner le change”, Fr.)
AFRIKAN SPIR -
Moral was a principle of inner life, whereas in our days, most of the time one is content to adhere to an official moral, that we recognize in theory, but that one does not care to put into practice.
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If the present civilisation does not acquire some stable moral fondations (“bases morales stables”, Fr.), its existence will hardly be more assured than that of the civilisations that have preceeded it, and which have fallen (or collapse, or failed).
AFRIKAN SPIR