Page:Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion volume 2.djvu/174

 gained by sense-perception, in connection with which accordingly relative ends of this sort present themselves.

Even if God is conceived of as a Power working actively in accordance with ends, still this does not give what is sought after when we speak of God. A Power which works in accordance with ends is, in fact, the lifeforce of Nature, and not yet Spirit. The conception of the life-force expresses something which is an end for itself, an actually existing end and activity in accordance therewith. In its content, accordingly, as thus expressed, we have nothing beyond what is involved in the conception of living Nature.

So far as the form of this Proof is concerned, we have in it, speaking generally, that of the syllogism of the Understanding. There are existing things characterised by a teleological arrangement, i.e., there are in a general way relations between things in conformity with ends, and in addition to this there is the definite existence of these objects which have the character of means, of something accidental so far as the ends are concerned. These objects, however, are at the same time not contingent when standing in this relation to one another, but rather it is implied in the notion or conception of the end, in the conception of the life-force, that not only have the ends been posited, but the objects too, which are means. This is quite correct, but the argument is further developed as follows. The arrangement of things in accordance with an end is composed, so far as its inner, its essential nature is concerned, of a Power which constitutes the connection or positing of the two, and by means of which they come to suit each other. Now, it is argued, if there are such things, here again it is the Being of these things which constitutes the starting-point. The transition, however, on the other hand, contains the moment of Not-Being. The means do not exist; they exist only in so far as they have been negatively posited, and so far as they exist they