The spiritual life

(Martin Jones) #1

156 TheSpiritual Life.


Thus this Unity is the foundation of our


brotherhood,as Brotherhood is the word that


includes allour ethics. Foritisin the lawof


Lovethatalltrueconducthasitsroot. Aslong


asexternallawisneeded,thatlawisthemeasure


of our imperfection; it is only when no law


is wanted, when the nature expressing itself


spontaneouslyis one with the divine law,itis


onlythenthathumanityisperfectedandhberty


andlawbecomeoneforevermore.


Here again is the sanction of right ethics,


found in this fact of brotherhood everywhere


discoverable in nature. All our European


Worlddiscussingethicalsystemsto-day,isaskmg


for some categorical imperative which shall


announce dutyand rightto man. Takewhat


systems you will in our German Schools of


Philosophy,thesystemof KantinGermanyor


anyofthemanyschoolsofethicsbeinggradually


built by our English-speaking people-every-


whereyou will find the question propounded,


Whatisthe Imperative? WhatistheOught?


What is the Thou Shalt, which is to be the


trainingin humanlife?


"It is not possible," saysome schools,and


you may find this expressed very clearly and


wellinoneofthewell-knownbooksofProfessor


SedgwickindealingwiththequestionofOught

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