HUMAN IMMORTALITY 3H 



scious of itself as a self, means at the least that it dis- 

 criminates itself from others, but therefore that it 

 also refers its own defining conception to others, — is 

 in relation witJi them, as unquestionably as it is in 

 the relation of differing from them. It cannot even 

 tJiink itself, except in this relatedness to tJiem ; 

 cannot at all be, except as a member of a reciprocal 

 society. Thus the logical roots of each mind's very 

 being are exactly this recognition of itself through 

 its recognition of others, and the recognition of 

 others in its very act of recognising itself. Hence 

 moral life is not only primordial in the nature of 

 mind, but what we commonly call a moral conscious- 

 ness, as if we would thereby divide it permanently 

 from the rest of consciousness, and count this re- 

 mainder mere knowledge or mere aesthetic discern- 

 ment as the case may be, turns out to be in fact 

 and in truth the primary logical spring of all other 

 possible consciousness. So profoundly and so im- 

 movably is this deepest Fountain of value and worth 

 inseated in our being. 



From this fact it follows, and still more clearly, as 

 was just now said, that the barest proof of our simple 

 continuance must in reality carry the proof of that 

 form of life which we reckon the highest expression 

 of worth. To prove continuance, it suffices to display 

 the self as the spontaneous source of perceptions 

 simply. But equally spontaneous is our positing of 



