African Spir Quotes
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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.); 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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Arbitrariness and true liberty are as distinct from each other that the empirical nature is distinct from the higher nature of man.
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Outward, thanks to the knowledge of physical laws, man could subdue nature, but inwardly, he remained a slave to it. For, when all is said and done, at what is aiming all this display or deployment of activity, if not to realized outward profits, to provide material pleasure or enjoyment. It is not the first time that men sell their birth right for a dish of lentils, and thus disown or repudiate or deny the best of thmeselves.
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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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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.
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Place 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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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, the further development or in-dept analysis, of the faculties of the intelligence, the refinement of the consciousness and of the heart, are considered incidental or subordinate things.
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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. Deep down, they are also related (or connected) among them; that they consider (or not) themselves as strangers, this just depends on the feeling (or sensation) that dictate their relationships. In their country, two fellow coutrymen whose paths berely cross (or see each only only briefly) with inferrence, would effusively rush themselves up (or throw themselves) into each other arms if they would happen to meet in a desert, among Cannibles.
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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.
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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, the more his character, by rising above material contingencies, widen, become free and independent.
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So many forces and resources would become available if States, aware or conscious of their true or real mission, would want to get on or agree to abolish every politics aiming at ("visant à", Fr.) expansion or hegemony; system that maintain among nations a a perpetual distrust and tension, impose on them (or force or compel, "leur impose", Fr.) formidable armies and crushing war budgets.
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The supreme blossoming of character lies or reside in renounciation or renuncement and abnegation of self ("abnégation de soi", Fr.)
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Only a moral education based on free inner discipline can bring to bear a salutary action and lead to a true morality.
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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.
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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 appearsand rule over or dominate, stifling every noble, generous impulse; it is then the ruin or downfall or decline of any humanity in man.
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The divine element manifests itself (or show up) in man as well by his aptitude for science, than by his aptitude for virtue. True morality, true philosophy and true art are in their essence ("dans leur essence", Fr.) religious."
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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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It depends on ourselves to be to each others, either a blessing or a torment.
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The intellectual development of man, far from having get men away from war, has, rather, on the contrary, bring them to a refinment always more perfected in the art of killing. They even came to raise the methods of slaughter to the rank of "science"... We would not (On ne saurait", Fr.) imagine a more extraordinary moral blindness!
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Man is in pursuit of two goals: he is looking for happinesse and, being by essence empty ("étant vide par essence", Fr.), he is trying to fill (or take up, - "remplir", Fr.) his life; the latter reason play a more considerable role than we ordinarily think. 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.)
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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.
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In the actual state of social relationships, the forms ("formes", Fr.) of politeness are necessary as a subsitute to benevolence.
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The need for sociability induce man to be in touch with his fellow men. However, this need might not find its full or complete satisfaction in the conventional or superficial, and deceitful world, in which or where everyone is mainly or mostly trying to assert oneself in front of others, to appear, and hoping to find in society relationships some advantages for his interest and vanity.
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As long as men will not be freed from their errors and delusions, humanity will not be able to go towards ("marcher vers", Fr.) the accomplishment of its true destinies.