The Doctrine of Right, Duties and Religion for the Lower Class

[p. 217]

§ 9

Acting is in general a union of the inner and the outer. The inward determination from which it begins is to be sublated as to form, namely that of being merely inward, and to become external; the content of this determination is to remain; e.g. the intention to build a house is an inward determination whose form consists in being as yet only intention; the content comprises the plan of the house. If here the form is now sublated, the content nevertheless remains. The house which is to be built according to the intention and that which is built according to the plan are the same house.

Conversely, acting is equally a sublating of the external as it is immediately present; e.g. for the building of a house the ground, stones, wood and the remaining materials are altered in manifold ways. The shape of the external is made other. It is brought into an entirely different combination from what it was before. This alteration takes place in accordance with a purpose, namely the plan of the house, with which inward determination, then, the external is made to accord.

§ 10

Animals too have a practical relation to what is external to them. They act from instinct purposively, thus rationally. Since they do so unconsciously, however, one can speak of acting in their case only improperly. They have desire and drive, but no rational will. In the case of the human being one also says will of his drive or his desiring. More exactly speaking, however, one distinguishes the will from desire; the will, in distinction from desire proper, is then called the higher faculty of desire. – In animals instinct is itself distinguished from their drives and desires, for instinct is indeed a doing from desire or drive, which, however, is not

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