Page:Popular Works of Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1889) Vol 2.djvu/521

 shall recognise itself as the Schema of the Divine Life, which it is originally, and through which alone it has Existence;—consequently this is its absolute vocation, in which its efficiency as a Power is completely exhausted. It shall recognise itself as the Schema of the Divine Life,—but it is originally nothing more than a Power, although most assuredly it is this determinate Power of the Schema of God:—if it is to recognise itself as such a Schema in Reality, then it must make itself so actually, by the realization of the Power—by its self-realization.

The recognition of itself as a Power to which an unconditional Imperative is addressed, and which is able to fulfil that Imperative, and the actual realization of this Power, should the latter come to pass, are distinct from each other; and the possibility of the latter is dependent on the previous accomplishment of the former.

It shall recognise itself as the Divine Schema, not by means of any Being inherent in itself, for there is no such Being, but by means of the realization of the Power. It must therefore previously possess the knowledge that it is such a Power, and also by what marks it may recognise itself in its self-realization, in order that it may direct its attention to these characteristic marks, and so be enabled to judge of the realization which they denote.

Or it may be regarded thus:—By means of the realization of the Power there arises a Schema, and a consciousness of that which is contained in the Schema, and not more than this. (§ V.) The formal addition, which lies beyond the immediate contents of the Schema,—i.e. that it is the Schema of God,—is not immediately contained