An Ethical Individualist is a person who strives to develop the sixteen pillars of freedom described in The Philosophy of Freedom, cultivating individuality, developing free knowing, and realizing free selfhood.
The 16 Pillars of Ethical Individualism
THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE
Two Pillars of Individuality
A-0 Courageous Attitude (link to section)
0-0 Devotion to Truth
THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM
Seven Pillars of Free Knowing
1-0 Questioned Action
2-0 Inquiring Urge
3-0 Focused Thinking
4-0 Corrected Perception
5-0 Accurate Conception
6-0 Authentic Ideation
7-0 Unifying Cognition
Seven Pillars of Free Selfhood
8-0 Self-Knowledge
9-0 Self-Motivated
10-0 Self-Originated
11-0 Self-Purposed
12-0 Self-Principled
13-0 Self-Determined
14-0 Self-Emancipated
Two Pillars of Individuality
1. Courageous Attitude
Principle: The cultivation of individuality begins with a courageous attitude.
STEP A-0 Advance from External Determination, where one's will is shaped by society, tradition, and ideological systems — to the Cultivation Of Individuality, where self-development and personal freedom guide one’s way of living.
Twelve Expressions of Courageous Attitude
STEP A-1 Shake Off Authority
STEP A-2 Inner Validation
STEP A-3 Self-Development
STEP A-4 Leaderless Striving
STEP A-5 Select Own Ideals
STEP A-6 All Are Worthy
STEP A-7 Nonconformity
STEP A-8 Unique Perfection
STEP A-9 Unique Contribution
STEP A-10 Free Expression
STEP A-11 Striving For Freedom
STEP A-12 Independence
1. Courageous Attitude
STEP A-1 Shake Off AuthorityAdvance from Submission To Authority, passively accepting external domination — to an energetic effort to Shake Off Authority, rejecting every kind of control.
STEP A-2 Inner Validation
Advance from Expert Validation, depending on external approval — to Inner Validation, accepting nothing as valid unless it springs from the roots of individuality.
STEP A-3 Self-Development
Advance from External Distraction, being distracted by external influences and obstructions — to prioritizing Self-Development, thrusting aside everything that hinders the full development of one’s individual powers.
STEP A-4 Leaderless Striving
Advance from Follow A Hero, struggling to walk in the footsteps of a chosen hero — to Leaderless Striving, finding your own way in accord with individuality through inner direction.
STEP A-5 Select Own Ideals
Advance from allowing Forced Ideals to be imposed upon us — to freely Select Own Ideals in harmony with individuality.
STEP A-6 All Are Worthy
Advance from Judging External Worth, believing that only some people are worthy — to discovering Inner Nobility, by descending into the innermost core of one’s being where something noble lies worthy of development.
STEP A-7 Nonconformity
Advance from Conformity, believing that we must all live according to the same norm of human life — to embracing Nonconformity, where each individual follows a unique path shaped by their authenticity and true self.
STEP A-8 Unique Perfection
Advance from striving directly for the Perfection Of The Whole, overlooking the role of individuality — to recognizing that the perfection of the whole depends on the Unique Perfection of each individual.
STEP A-9 Unique Contribution
Advance from Performing Standardized Tasks, doing what anyone else could do equally well — to making a Unique Contribution to the development of the world that only you, through the uniqueness of your nature, can offer.
STEP A-10 Free Expression Advance from Rule-Bound Expression, constrained by prescribed rules and norms — to asserting the right to creative Free Expression, expressing what is unique within your individuality. STEP A-11 Striving For Freedom Advance from merely Expressing Individuality in life — to recognizing this expression as an intense Striving For Freedom, developed to its highest pitch.
2. Devotion to Truth
Principle: Devotion to truth deepens the experience of inner truth.
STEP 0-0 Path Of Inner Truth
Advance from the Path Of Outer Truth, seeking understanding through observation of the external world — to the Path Of Inner Truth, where the soul mirrors the world within the depths of human nature.
Twelve Expressions of Devotion to Truth
STEP 0-1 Conviction
STEP 0-2 Empowered By Truth
STEP 0-3 Experience Of Knowing
STEP 0-4 Advance In Knowledge
STEP 0-5 Will To Know
STEP 0-6 Apply Principles
STEP 0-7 Practice Pure Thinking
STEP 0-8 Knowing Organism
STEP 0-9 Philosophy Of Freedom
STEP 0-10 All-Around Development
STEP 0-11 Ideas Serve Goals
STEP 0-12 Master Of Ideas
STEP 0-1 Conviction
Advance from the Uncertainty Of Outer Truth, which comes to us from outside — to the Conviction Of Inner Truth, which appears within us.
STEP 0-2 Empowered By Truth
Advance from being Weakened By Doubt, baffled by a world of riddles — to being Empowered By Truth, which clarifies goals and inspires creative activity.
STEP 0-3 Experience Of Knowing
Advance from merely Belief, which requires accepting truths not fully understood — to the fulfilling Experience Of Knowing, which springs from the inner life of the personality.
STEP 0-4 Advance In Knowledge
Advance from relying on Academic Knowledge, bound by rigid rules — to Advancing In Knowledge, beginning from personally understood facts and direct experience, each striving uniquely toward certainty.
STEP 0-5 Will To Know
Advance from Compulsory Education, imposing understanding and expecting agreement — to fostering the Will To Know, where learning emerges from the individual’s own need and desire to understand.
STEP 0-6 Apply Principles
Advance from flaunting a Stereotypical Life, following current cultural trends — to Applying Principles, shaping your life according to principles of individuality grounded in a personal dedication to truth.
STEP 0-7 Practice Pure Thinking
Advance from the Eastern practice of Pious Exercises And Asceticism, where a teacher withholds knowledge until the disciple undergoes prescribed discipline — to the Western practice of Pure Thinking, withdrawing to soar into the joy of conceptual understanding.
STEP 0-8 Knowing Organism
Advance from Abstract Thinking, merely knowing about things — to transforming knowledge into a self-governing Knowing Organism, where knowledge takes on a life of its own, ruled by its own laws and generating ideas as powerful forces in life.
STEP 0-9 Philosophy Of Freedom
Advance from the Question Of Freedom, it's nature and our participation in it — to a Philosophy Of Freedom, uniting scientific inquiry and philosophical art.
STEP 0-10 All-Around Development
Advance from engaging in science to satisfy Idle Curiosity, seeking knowledge merely for amusement — to pursuing science that contributes to the All-Around Development of human nature, unlocking the full potential within us.
STEP 0-11 Ideas Serving Goals
Advance from Serving Ideas, bowing before the world of Ideas and dedicating yourself to their service — to Ideas Serving Goals, taking possession of Ideas and applying them to achieve your own aims.
STEP 0-12 Master Of Ideas
Advance from being a Slave Of Ideas, submitting to Ideas as external authorities — to becoming a Master Of Ideas, confronting them and consciously directing them.
Seven Attributes of Free Knowing
1. Questioned Action
Principle: Questioned action understands the importance of freedom.
Question Of Freedom
STEP 1-0 Advance from the Illusion Of Freedom, where thought and action are experienced as free while their determining laws remain unknown — to recognizing the importance of the Question Of Freedom for life, religion, conduct, and science.
Twelve Expressions of Questioned Action
STEP 1-1 Indifferent Choice
STEP 1-2 Freedom Of Choice
STEP 1-3 Free Necessity
STEP 1-4 Conduct Of Character
STEP 1-5 Conscious Motive
STEP 1-6 Practical Decision
STEP 1-7 Do What One Wants
STEP 1-8 Unconditioned Will
STEP 1-9 Known Reason
STEP 1-10 Force Of Heart
STEP 1-11 Idolized Love
STEP 1-12 See The Good
STEP 1-1 Freedom of Indifferent Choice
Advance from the illusory Freedom of Indifferent Choice, where willful actions seem arbitrary and without preference — to Questioning Reasons, whether reasons underlie these choices.
STEP 1-2 Freedom Of Choice
Advance from the illusory Freedom Of Choice, where decisions are made according to personal preferences — to Questioning Desire, whether desire determines those choices.
STEP 1-3 Free Expression Of One's Nature
Advance from the illusory Free Necessity, where action is seen as the expression of one’s given nature — to Questioning One's Nature, whether it is shaped by external causes and reacts in a fixed way.
STEP 1-4 Conduct Of Character
Advance from the illusory Conduct Of Character, the freedom to act on ideas in accord with one's character — to Questioning Character, whether it is shaped by pre-existing ideas, emotions, and one’s characterological disposition.
STEP 1-5 Conscious Motive
Advance from the illusory separation of Knower and Doer, where one either knows without acting or acts without knowledge — to the Knowing Doer, who acts out of knowledge.
STEP 1-6 Practical Decision
Advance from the illusory freedom of Practical Decision, where deliberate and rational choices are thought to guide one’s life — to Questioning Rational Decisions, whether they occur with rational necessity within me.
STEP 1-7 Do What One Wants
Advance from the illusory freedom of having the ability to Do What One Wants — to Questioning The Strongest Motive, whether your actions are determined by the inescapable necessity of the strongest motive.
STEP 1-8 Unconditioned Will
Advance from the illusory freedom of an Unconditioned Will Impulse, where acts of will appear to be an absolute beginning — to Questioning Invisible Causes, whether unseen internal causes determine the act of will.
STEP 1-9 Known Reason
Advance from the illusory freedom of action based on a Known Reason — to Questioning The Origin Of Thought, whether thinking is genuinely produced by oneself.
STEP 1-10 Force Of Heart
Advance from the illusory freedom of the Force Of Heart, where compassion prevails over cold intellectual reasoning — to Questioning Emotional Drives, recognizing that motives are shaped by thoughts before they evoke an emotional response in the heart.
STEP 1-11 Idolized Love
Advance from the illusory freedom of Idolized Love, where idealistic thoughts elevate feelings of love — to Questioning The Source of Love, recognizing that love depends on the thoughts we form of the beloved.
STEP 1-12 Seeing The Good
Advance from the illusory Seeing The Good, where flaws are overlooked — to Questioning The Perception - Picture, recognizing that love depends on the perception-picture we form of the beloved.
2. Inquiring Urge
An inquiring urge seeks satisfaction in the unity of self and world.
Step 2-0 Speculative Thinking
Advance from the Separation Of Self And World, which fails to explain the facts — to Speculative Thinking, which arises from dissatisfaction with mere appearance and seeks to reconcile inner thought-content with outer world-content into a unified whole.
Twelve Expressions of Desire for Knowledge
Step 2.1 Materialistic Conception
Step 2.2 Spiritualistic Theory
Step 2.3 Realism
Step 2.4 Idealism
Step 2.5 Materialistic Idealism
Step 2.6 Indivisible Entity
Step 2.7 Contrast Self
Step 2.8 Felt Unity
Step 2.9 Essence Within
Step 2.10 More Than "I"
Step 2.11 Description Of Experience
Step 2.12 Facts Without Interpretation
STEP 2-1 Materialistic Conception
Advance from a Materialistic Conception, which focuses solely on material life and explains all phenomena as merely physical processes — to recognition of the Self as the inner source of thought that gives meaning to experience.
STEP 2-2 Spiritualistic Theory
Advance from Spiritualistic Theory, which explains the world as a product of mind alone — to recognizing the necessity of engaging with Concrete Phenomena in both knowledge and action.
STEP 2-3 Realism
Advance from Realism, which looks outward to know the external world and acquire practical experience — to Balanced Engagement, where thinking complements experience and overcomes one-sided dependence on the outer world.
STEP 2-4 Idealism
Advance from Idealism, which constructs magnificent thought-pictures without experiential content — to recognizing the necessity of Practical Experience for grounding knowledge in the external world.
STEP 2-5 Materialistic Idealism
Advance from Materialistic Idealism, which claims both thought and matter as the origin of each other, creating a conceptual paradox — to achieving Logical Consistency, where thinking clarifies its assumptions and avoids contradiction.
STEP 2-6 Indivisible Unity
Advance from seeking Indivisible Unity externally, outside experience, to resolve the separation of mind and matter — to recognizing that this division originates within Dualistic Consciousness, where the world appears as both thought and perception.
STEP 2-7 Contrasting Self
Advance from Contrasting Self, which sets itself in opposition to the world — to recognizing an Interdependent Relationship, in which the Self belongs to the world and seeks its unity with it.
STEP 2-8 Felt Unity
Advance from Feeling Estranged, in which the Self experiences itself as separate from Nature — to a Felt Unity, recognizing that the outer workings of Nature also lives within us and connects us to her.
STEP 2-9 Essence Within
Advance from viewing the mind as a Foreign Spiritual Entity detached from Nature and unable to find the connecting link — to seeking the Essence Within that corresponds to Nature and restores our connection with the world.
STEP 2-10 More Than “I”
Advance from identifying as Merely “I” — to recognizing within oneself something More Than “I”, discovering within the Self an element that is not merely subjective, but connects beyond it.
STEP 2-11 Description Of Experience
Advance from reliance on Academic Definitions in the study of consciousness — to Simple Descriptions that faithfully express what is directly experienced.
STEP 2-12 Facts Without Interpretation
Advance from the Scholarly Interpretation of consciousness, which imposes distinctions that go beyond everyday awareness — to closely observing and recording the immediate, moment-to-moment Facts Of Experience without interpretation.
3. THOUGHT AS INSTRUMENT OF KNOWLEDGE
CHAPTER THEME: Freedom Of Thinking - Thinking gains knowledge of the world through the selfless contemplation of it. Pure thinking is guided in linking thoughts by the content of thought.
Twelve Expressions of Freedom Of Thinking
STEP 3-1 Exceptional State
STEP 3-2 Active Thinking
STEP 3-3 Contemplate Object
STEP 3-4 Contemplation Thought
STEP 3-5 Know Concept
STEP 3-6 Pure Thinking
STEP 3-7 "I" Think
STEP 3-8 Realm Of Thought
STEP 3-9 Create Thought
STEP 3-10 Self-Supporting Thought
STEP 3-11 Examine Thinking
STEP 3-12 Rightness Of Thought
“The perception of a change in me, the modification my Self undergoes, is thrust into the foreground, while the object causing this modification is completely lost sight of. As a consequence it is said: We do not perceive the objects, but only our ideas.”
4. THE WORLD AS PERCEPTION
CHAPTER THEME: Perception Bias - Our perception, as it first appears before we consciously analyze it, is a projection by our organization of past experience.
Perception Bias
STEP 4.1 Generalize Phenomena
STEP 4.2 Thinking Reference
STEP 4.3 Connect Objects
STEP 4.4 Picture Correction
STEP 4.5 Observation Correction
STEP 4.6 Subjective Percept
STEP 4.7 Memory Picture
STEP 4.8 Unknowable Thing-In-itself
STEP 4.9 My Organization
STEP 4.10 Projection
STEP 4.11 Web Of Ideas
STEP 4.12 Real Senses
“Anything we observe in the world remains unintelligible to us, until the corresponding intuition arises within us which adds that part of reality missing in the percept.”
5. KNOWING THE WORLD
CHAPTER THEME: True Judgment - The supposedly unknowable "thing-in-itself" is knowable by means of conceptual intuition. The concept that corresponds to what is observed arises through thoughtful contemplation of object. Without this concept the world is unintelligible. The world is known when "right judgment" correctly applies the concept that corresponds to the world. This overcomes the perception bias in chapter 4.
True Judgment
STEP 5.1 Awakened State Of Thinking
STEP 5.2 True Judgment
STEP 5.3 World Caused Thought
STEP 5.4 Process Of Becoming
STEP 5.5 Inseparable Concept
STEP 5.6 Isolate Concept
STEP 5.7 Self-Definition
STEP 5.8 Universal Concept
STEP 5.9 Conceptual Unity
STEP 5.10 Corresponding Intuition
STEP 5.11 Conceptual Connection
STEP 5.12 Objective Percept
“A true individuality will be the one who reaches up with his feelings as high as possible into the region of ideals.”
6. HUMAN INDIVIDUALITY
CHAPTER THEME: Independent Ideas - The independent thinker purifies feelings by reaching them up into universal thinking. Independent reality-based ideas are formed by individualizing the universal cognitive concept gained in chapter 5. Our thinking is individualized by factors of our individuality presented in chapter 6.
Independent Idea
STEP 6.1 Perception Of Motion
STEP 6.2 Intuitive Idea
STEP 6.3 Representation Of Reality
STEP 6.4 Acquire Experience
STEP 6.5 Cognitive Objectivity
STEP 6.6 Individual Ego
STEP 6.7 Two-Fold Nature
STEP 6.8 True Individuality
STEP 6.9 Standpoint
STEP 6.10 Intensity Of Feeling
STEP 6.11 Education Of Feeling
STEP 6.12 Living Concept
“It follows from the concept of cognizing, as we have defined it, that we cannot speak of limits to cognition.”
7. ARE THERE LIMITS TO KNOWLEDGE?
CHAPTER THEME: Reality - We resolve the personal questioning of chapter 2 and reach cognitive satisfaction in chapter 7. The world of appearance is given its true nature when cognition combines the percept and concept into the true situation.
Theme: Reality - True Nature Of World
STEP 7.1 Hypothetical World Principle and Facts Of Experience
STEP 7.2 "I" Questions and Answers
STEP 7.3 Reconcile Well-Known Percepts and Well-Known Concepts
STEP 7.4 Conceptual Representation Of Objective Reality
STEP 7.5 Real Principles in addition to Ideal Principles
STEP 7.6 Real Evidence Of Senses in addition to Ideal Evidence
STEP 7.7 Vanishing Perceptions and Ideal Entities
STEP 7.8 Perceptible Reality and Imperceptible Reality
topic 7.9 Monism: Sum of Perceptions and Laws of Nature
topic 7.10 Separation and Reunion of Self into World Continuum
topic 7.11 Induction Of Underlying Causes From Sum Of Perceived Facts
topic 7.12 Objective Real World Continuum And Subjective World Continuum
PART II TRUE SELF
"The error in the mystical form of intuition is that it wants to experience in feeling what should be attained as knowledge. The Mystic tries to elevate feeling, which is individual, into a universal principle."
8. THE FACTORS OF LIFE
Seven Attributes of Free Acting
1. Self Knowledge
CHAPTER THEME: Self Knowledge - Feeling and willing (action) are something we perceive just like other percepts. All percepts are incomplete realities until they are understood by adding their concept. Self knowledge requires understanding our feeling and willing.
Self-Knowledge
topic 8.1 Feeling Personality
topic 8.2 Perceive Personality
topic 8.3 Know Feeling
topic 8.4 Concept Of Self
topic 8.5 Cultivate Feeling
topic 8.6 Feeling Insight
topic 8.7 Philosopher of Feeling
topic 8.8 Feeling Intuition
topic 8.9 Willing Personality
topic 8.10 Voluntarism
topic 8.11 Naive Knowledge Of Feeling And Willing
topic 8.12 Universal Will
"The concept of man is not complete unless it includes the free spirit as the purest expression of human nature. After all, we are human in the fullest sense only to the extent that we are free."
9. THE IDEA OF FREEDOM
CHAPTER THEME: True Self - The action of an ethical individualist is determined by an idea originating in pure thought (practical reason). To become your true self it is necessary to know what a free spirit is. The concept of your true self as a free spirit is given in this chapter.
Theme: True Self
topic 9.1 Idealistic Act
topic 9.2 Moral Character
topic 9.3 Motivated Idea
topic 9.4 Levels Of Morality
topic 9.5 Ethical Intuition
topic 9.6 Situational Idea
topic 9.7 Ethical Individualism
topic 9.8 Love Of Goal
topic 9.9 Free Action
topic 9.10 Harmony Of Intentions
topic 9.11 Concept Of Free Spirit
topic 9.12 Social Order
topic 9.1 addition: Impulse Of Freedom
"To the extent a person receives his ethical principles from outside he is in fact unfree. But the Idea can manifest itself in the human individual. To the extent a person follows his impulses from this side, he is free."
10. MONISM AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM
CHAPTER THEME: Moral Authority - Obey only yourself.
Theme: Moral Authority
topic 10.1 Mechanical Necessity
topic 10.2 Spiritual Being
topic 10.3 Automaton Or Slave
topic 10.4 Imposed Principles
topic 10.5 Ethical Impulse
topic 10.6 Accusation
topic 10.7 Realize Free Spirit
topic 10.8 Individual Will Impulse
topic 10.9 Course Of Development
topic 10.10 Find Own Self
topic 10.11 Preparatory Stages
topic 10.12 Freedom Is Morality
"What is man's purpose in life? Monism has but one answer: The purpose which he gives to himself. I have no predestined mission in the world; my mission, at any one moment, is that which I choose for myself."
11. WORLD PURPOSE AND LIFE PURPOSE (The Destiny Of Man)
CHAPTER THEME: World Continuum - Human Purpose - This chapter clarifies the difference between human purpose and the natural laws at work in the world continuum. Only a human being can have purpose. Knowledge of the laws at work in the world continuum are needed to change the world with moral technique in chapter 12.
Theme: World Continuum - Human Purpose
topic 11.1 Perceptual Factor
topic 11.2 Conceptual Factor
topic 11.3 Human Purpose
topic 11.4 Invented Purpose
topic 11.5 Laws Of Nature
topic 11.6 Purposeful Life
topic 11.7 Chosen Destiny
topic 11.8 Actualized Idea
topic 11.9 Formative Principle
topic 11.10 Purposeful Design
topic 11.11 Harmony Within Whole
topic 11.12 World Being
"Concrete ideas are formed by us on the basis of our concepts by means of the imagination. Therefore what the free spirit needs in order to carry out his ideas, in order to assert himself in the world, is moral imagination."
12. MORAL IMAGINATION
CHAPTER THEME: Free Ethical Deed - A free deed begins with freely selecting an ethical intention (moral intuition). This universal ethical principle needs to be translated into a concrete goal (moral imagination) and then implemented into the world in a way that doesn't disrupt the current order of the world anymore than is necessary (moral technique).
Theme: Free Ethical Deed
topic 12.1 Concrete Idea
topic 12.2 Moral Imagination
topic 12.3 Moral Technique
topic 12.4 Science Of Morality
topic 12.5 Create Moral Rules
topic 12.6 Evolution Of Morality
topic 12.7 Evolution Of Ethical Nature
topic 12.8 Human Morality
topic 12.9 Characterization Of Deed
topic 12.10 Free Deed
topic 12.11 Want What Is Right
topic 12.12 Enslaved Spirit
“He acts as he wants to act—according to his ethical intuitions—and he finds the true enjoyment of life in achieving what he wants.”
13. THE VALUE OF LIFE
CHAPTER THEME: True Individuality - When the emotions are purified the mature fully developed individual will want to do what he considers right, be his own master and find the enjoyment of life to be the achievement of his goals.
Theme: True Individuality
topic 13.1 Happy Doing Good
topic 13.2 Pain Of Striving
topic 13.3 Pain Outweighs Pleasure
topic 13.4 Pleasure Of Striving
topic 13.5 Quantity Of Pleasure
topic 13.6 Quality Of Pleasure
topic 13.7 Pursuit Of Pleasure
topic 13.8 Value Of Pleasure
topic 13.9 Will For Pleasure
topic 13.10 Magnitude Of Pleasure
topic 13.11 Highest Pleasure
topic 13.12 Joy Of Achievement
“An ethnic group is a whole, and the members belonging to it exhibit characteristic traits that are determined by the nature of the group… However, the human being frees himself from these typical characteristics. He develops his own traits and roles for reasons that can only be found in himself.”
14. THE INDIVIDUAL AND TYPE
CHAPTER THEME: Free Individuality - How to identify a free individuality within a community of conformists.
Theme: Free Individuality
topic 14.1 Group Type
topic 14.2 Freedom From Type
topic 14.3 Judge Character
topic 14.4 Occupational Choice
topic 14.5 Academic Study
topic 14.6 Free Thinking
topic 14.7 Innermost Core
topic 14.8 Views And Actions
topic 14.9 Emancipate Knowing
topic 14.10 Free Spirit
topic 14.11 Ethical Conduct
topic 14.12 Moral Contribution
STEPS TO FREEDOM
PART I: TRUE KNOWLEDGE
Chapter 0 Part I THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE
WAY OF KNOWING ANTHROPOMORPHISM: restrict oneself to what can be experienced on, around or in oneself
PRINCIPLE: Cultivate Individuality In Life
From Collectivism To Individualism
STEP .01 From submission to authority To shake off authority.
STEP .02 From expert validation To inner validation.
STEP .03 From distracted by world To commitment to self-development.
STEP .04 From follow your hero To leaderless striving.
STEP .05 From forced ideals To select own ideals.
STEP .06 From some are worthy To inner worthiness of each.
STEP .07 From strive to conform To nonconformity (strive to be yourself).
STEP .08 From perfection of the group To unique perfection of each.
STEP .09 From collective action To unique individual contribution.
STEP .010 From rules of expression To free creative expression.
STEP .011 From striving for collective bondage To striving for freedom.
STEP .012 From dependent on others To independent of others.
Chapter 0 Part II THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE
PRINCIPLE: Cultivate Individuality In Truth Found In Human Nature
0.0 From Collective Conformity To Independent Individuality.
STEP .1 From uncertain truth To conviction of inner truth.
STEP .2 From weakened by doubt To empowered by truth.
STEP .3 From belief in truths not understood To truth understood in depths of inner core.
STEP .4 From archived academic knowledge To facts we know, from direct experience..
STEP .5 From compelled to understand To individual will to understand.
STEP .6 From flaunting cultural trends To applying principles of individualism.
STEP .7 From piety training To practice of pure thinking.
STEP .8 From merely know about things To powerful ideas, self-governing thought organism.
STEP .9 From a philosophy of freedom To scientific clarification.
STEP .10 From science of idle curiosity To all-around human development.
STEP .11 From humans serve ideas To ideas serve human goals.
STEP .12 From slave of ideas To master of ideas.
CHAPTER 1 CONSCIOUS HUMAN ACTION
WAY OF KNOWING OCCULTISM: concealed or hidden from view, essential nature of things is beyond range of ordinary knowledge or sense-perception
REALM Willing process
PRINCIPLE: Know Why You Act
1.0 From Illusion Of Freedom To Lawful Necessity.
STEP 1.1 From freedom of indifferent choice To choice determined by a reason.
STEP 1.2 From freedom of choice To choice determined by desire.
STEP 1.3 From free expression of one’s nature To necessity of external causes.
STEP 1.4 From conduct of character (free of external causes) To necessity of characterological disposition.
STEP 1.5 From question of free will To question of conscious motive.
STEP 1.6 From rational decision To rational necessity of decision.
STEP 1.7 From ability to do what one wants To necessity of strongest motive.
STEP 1.8 From unconditioned will To necessity of invisible cause.
STEP 1.9 From known reason To what is the origin of the thought?
STEP 1.10 From driving force of compassionate heart To compassion aroused by thoughts formed.
STEP 1.11 From act out of love To love is result of idolizing the loved one.
STEP 1.12 From see good qualities To perception-pictures were formed of good qualities.
CHAPTER 2 THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE
WAY OF KNOWING TRANSCENDENTALISM: I FEEL IT MUST BE THERE OUTSIDE Outside and beyond anything that can be experienced, the essential nature of things lies hidden. But I do not feel it flow within my soul, I only feel it must be there, outside. Transcending or going beyond.
Realm Feeling process
PRINCIPLE: Strive For True Knowledge That Unifies Self-World
THE PATH TO TRUE KNOWLEDGE
As soon as we begin to have thoughts our being is split in two between our thought-content (I) and the perceived world-content.
The world is a single whole reality, but as soon as we begin to have thoughts a split occurs between our inner world of thought and the outer perceived world. We become dissatisfied and feel separated from the world. The feeling that we belong within the universe, not outside it, drives our desire for knowledge. The history of the spiritual life is a continuous quest for the unity between ourselves and the world.
How do we find our way back to unity?
Neither Monism or Dualism can reconcile the split between the World and Self, for they do not do justice to the facts. Dualism pays attention only to the separation between Self and World brought about by human consciousness. Monism pays attention only to the unity and tries either to deny or to gloss over the opposites. We can find the connection once more when we discover the essence of Nature within. The split is determined in a specific way by the organization of each perceiving person, so the bridging of the gap can only take place in a specific way for each person. A person integrates themselves back into the world by combining their thought with the observed world and thus gain true knowledge (see chapter 7).
2.0 From Separating Self and World TO Unifying Self and World.
STEP 2.1 One-sided Materialism shifts the problem away from his own Self.
STEP 2.2 One-sided Spiritualism turns away from the physical world.
STEP 2.3 One-sided Realism turns to the external world and away from the ideals of idealism.
STEP 2.4 One-sided Idealism turns to ideals and away from the empirical world.
STEP 2.5 Materialistic Idealism is caught in a conceptual paradox.
STEP 2.6 The question that actually originates in our consciousness is shifted to another place.
STEP 2.7 Human beings are all within her, and she in each of them.
STEP 2.8 Feeling connection with Nature can only be due to the outer workings of nature living also in us.
STEP 2.9 I can find nature outside only when I first know her within.
STEP 2.10 I investigate my own being to find the solution to the problem.
STEP 2.11 Statements and terms are used only to clarify the actual facts.
STEP 2.12 Ordinary consciousness does not know the sharp distinctions of scholarship.
Chapter 3 THINKING AS THE INSTRUMENT OF KNOWLEDGE
WAY OF KNOWING MYSTICISM In the inner realm something is experienced about the world that cannot be experienced externally. The world reveals its secrets in the inner realm.
REALM Thinking process
PRINCIPLE: Practice Pure Thinking
3.0 From Spectator Who Watches TO Thinker Who Predicts
STEP 3.1 From everyday state To exceptional state.
STEP 3.2 From passive feeling To active reflection.
STEP 3.3 From expressing personal feelings To selfless contemplation of object.
STEP 3.4 From productive thinking To contemplation of thinking.
STEP 3.5 From know observed phenomena indirectly To know thought directly.
STEP 3.6 From physiological basis of thought To pure thinking guided by content of thought.
STEP 3.7 From uncertainty of things To certainty of thought.
STEP 3.8 From thought intermixes with observation To remain within pure thought.
STEP 3.9 From know nature, then create it over again To create thought first, then know.
STEP 3.10 From another's view of your thought To your view of your thought.
STEP 3.11 From turn immediately to object To start with correct principles of thinking.
STEP 3.12 From right or wrong thought To rightly applied thought.
CHAPTER 4 THE WORLD AS PERCEPTION
WAY OF KNOWING EMPIRICISM I will incorporate into my world conception whatever I meet with in the world, whatever shows itself externally.
REALM Perception process
PRINCIPLE: Continually Correct Your World-Pictures
4.0 From Concepts Drawn from Observation TO Concepts Added to Observation
STEP 4.1 From generalize phenomena To conceptualize phenomena.
STEP 4.2 From (thinking) consciousness of objects To thinker refers concept to object.
STEP 4.3 From thought free observation To establish conceptual relationships.
STEP 4.4 From world-picture contradictions To world-picture corrections.
STEP 4.5 From mathematical and qualitative perception-picture To observation corrections.
STEP 4.6 From subjective perception-picture To we can only know our subjective-perception picture.
STEP 4.7 From stream of perception-pictures To I retain a memory-idea.
STEP 4.8 From idea thrust into foreground To cannot know thing-in-itself.
STEP 4.9 From external perception is idea formed by my organization To external object is lost.
STEP 4.10 From what exists outside in space To recognize projection of psyche.
STEP 4.11 From the external percept is my idea To confuse external with internal observations.
STEP 4.12 From perceived world is my idea To my ideas are product of real sense organs.
CHAPTER 5 KNOWING THE WORLD
WAY OF KNOWING VOLUNTARISM Will is the dominant factor in the world, lawful nature of thing
REALM Conception process
PRINCIPLE: Rightly Apply Concepts To World
5.0 From Imagined Perceived World To Things-In-Themselves.
STEP 5.1 From dream state of ideas To awakened state of thinking.
STEP 5.2 From naive acceptance of appearance To true judgment (correctly applied thought).
STEP 5.3 From thought exists only in head To world causes specific concept To arise.
STEP 5.4 From momentary picture To process of becoming (continuous process of growth).
STEP 5.5 From sequence of appearances To indivisible existence of concept with object.
STEP 5.6 From perceived stream of events To isolate and grasp single concepts.
STEP 5.7 From self-perception To self-definition by means of thinking.
STEP 5.8 From the isolation of individual experience (sensing, feeling, perceiving) To the unity of universal concepts.
STEP 5.9 From world unity fail To conceptual world unity.
STEP 5.10 From appearance of equal value To intuition reveals hierarchy of value.
STEP 5.11 From gathering percepts To conceptual connections of percepts.
STEP 5.12 From objective percept (in field of vision) To subjective percept (memory-idea).
Chapter 6 HUMAN INDIVIDUALITY
WAY OF KNOWING LOGICISM Connect things together, thoughts-concepts-ideas, eyes-nose-mouth
REALM Ideation process
PRINCIPLE: Individualize Concepts Into Reality-Based Ideas
6.0 From Perception (different than external things) To Conception (identical with external things)
STEP 6.1 From systematic change To illusion of movement.
STEP 6.2 From appearance of percept To intuitive idea.
STEP 6.3 From moment of observation To complete reality.
STEP 6.4 From unthinking traveler and abstract scholar To acquiring experience.
STEP 6.5 From subjective representation To cognitive objectivity.
STEP 6.6 From subjective individual ego To feelings expressed as pleasure and pain.
STEP 6.7 From indifference toward our self To special value for our self.
STEP 6.8 From swing between thought and feelings To true individuality (reach feelings to universal ideals).
STEP 6.9 From standpoint in the world (environment0 To standpoint to view the world.
STEP 6.10 From individual organization To intensity of feelings.
STEP 6.11 From feeling life devoid of thought To education of feeling life.
STEP 6.12 From feelings To living concepts.
CHAPTER 7 ARE THERE ANY LIMITS TO KNOWLEDGE?
WAY OF KNOWING GNOSIS Know things of world not through senses, through certain cognitional forces
REALM Cognition process
PRINCIPLE: Answer Your Own Questions
7.0 From World Of Appearance TO True Nature Of World
STEP 7.1 From hypothetically assumed world principle To facts of experience.
STEP 7.2 From "I" questions To "I" answers.
STEP 7.3 From well-known percepts To well-known concepts.
STEP 7.4 From objective reality To conceptual representation.
STEP 7.5 From ideal principles To real connecting principles.
STEP 7.6 From ideal evidence To real evidence of senses.
STEP 7.7 From perishing perceptions To enduring ideal entities.
STEP 7.8 From perceptible reality To imperceptible forces.
STEP 7.9 From sum of percepts To laws of nature.
STEP 7.10 From separation of “I” To integration of “I” into world continuum.
STEP 7.11 From large number of perceptual facts To induction of underlying causes.
STEP 7.12 From subjective world continuum To objective real world continuum.
PART II: TRUE SELF
CHAPTER 8 THE FACTORS OF LIFE
WAY OF KNOWING GNOSIS Know things of world not through senses, through certain cognitional forces
REALM Cognition process
PRINCIPLE: Find Feeling And Will In Thinking
8.0 From Knowing Personality To Feeling And Willing Personality
STEP 8.1 From relate percept to ourselves through feeling To feeling personality.
STEP 8.2 From perception of feeling To reality of one's personality.
STEP 8.3 From incomplete reality of feeling To addition of concept to gain full reality of feeling.
STEP 8.4 From feeling of existence To concept of self.
STEP 8.5 From thought directly related to what exists To cultivation of feelings.
STEP 8.6 From grasp it when feel connection to things in world To feeling insight.
STEP 8.7 From make personal feeling a world principle To grasp things in felt union with things.
STEP 8.8 From elevate feeling intuition into universal principle To feeling is a subjective experience.
STEP 8.9 From willing is the effect of our Self on the world To perception of willing personality.
STEP 8.10 From own will a special case of universal will To will can only be experienced individually.
STEP 8.11 From real principles of feeling and willing To naive knowledge gained by particular experience of feeling or willing.
STEP 8.12 From assumed existence of willed world-process To will is part of world-process only when thinking conceptually relates it to world.
CHAPTER 9 THE IDEA OF FREEDOM
WAY OF KNOWING LOGICISM Connect things together, thoughts-concepts-ideas, eyes-nose-mouth
REALM Ideation process
PRINCIPLE: Learn The Concept Of The Free Spirit
9.0 From Conceptual Intuition Of My Perception To Conceptual Intuition Of My Act Of Will
STEP 9.1 From action determined by a perceptual object To action determined by my system of concepts.
STEP 9.2 From development of individual make-up To moral character.
STEP 9.3 From action determined by characterological disposition To identifying motive and driving force resulting in motivated idea.
STEP 9.4a From levels of characterological disposition (driving force) To practical reason
STEP 9.4b From levels of motive (goals) To conceptual intuition
STEP 9.5 From conduct influenced by characterological disposition or moral norm principles To deed determined by moral intuition.
STEP 9.6 From situational moral duty with behavior instructions To situational Idea revealed when facing situation.
STEP 9.7 From express general moral norms To express one’s individual ethical content.
STEP 9.8 From automaton carrying out orders to further cultural progress To motivated by my ethical principle united with my love for the goal.
STEP 9.9 From follow animal and social instincts into corrupt action To free action of ethical aims grasped by pure intuition.
STEP 9.10 From united by common moral order To united by harmony of intentions.
STEP 9.11 From natural and social being To free beimg who orders his conduct according to his own impulses (intuitions).
STEP 9.12 From dangerous free spirit To social order favors individual.
STEP 9.1 addition: From psyche-physical organization TO impulse of freedom
CHAPTER 10 MONISM AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM
WAY OF KNOWING VOLUNTARISM Will is the dominant factor in the world, lawful nature of thing
REALM Conception process
PRINCIPLE: Obey The Impulse Of Freedom
10.0 From External Moral Authority To Internal Moral Authority
STEP 10.1 From mechanical laws of materialism To illusion of freedom.
STEP 10.2 From dictates of spiritual being To do god's will.
STEP 10.3 From materialist automaton or spiritualist slave To no room for freedom.
STEP 10.4 From imposed principles To denial of freedom.
STEP 10.5 From accept moral principles from others To free ethical impulse.
STEP 10.6 From accusation of unfreedom To identify the thing, person or institution that made this person act.
STEP 10.7 From unfree in world of percepts To freedom in realization of free spirit.
STEP 10.8 From carry out intentions of another To intuitive Ideas realized in individual goals.
STEP 10.9 From full human nature not expressed To on this course of development, can the free spirit be attained.
STEP 10.10 From stages of development To find own self.
STEP 10.11 From preparatory stages of morality To preparatory stages overcome through free spirit.
STEP 10.12 From morality of higher order beings To morality is solely a human quality.
Chapter 11 WORLD PURPOSE AND LIFE PURPOSE (The Destiny Of Man)
WAY OF KNOWING EMPIRICISM I will incorporate into my world conception whatever I meet with in the world, whatever shows itself externally.
REALM Perception process
PRINCIPLE: Envision Purpose Into Your Life
11.0 From Earlier Event Determines Later Event To Later Deed Influences Doer's Earlier Idea.
STEP 11.1 From side by side percepts of event To connect percepts of event with concepts cause and effect.
STEP 11.2 From percept effect comes after percept cause To thinking reveals effect influences cause by conceptual factor.
STEP 11.3 From lawful connection between later and earlier event To human action where concept of effect (idea) perceptibly influences cause.
STEP 11.4 From imperceptible forces in Nature To invented imaginary purpose.
STEP 11.5 From purposes of Nature To laws of nature.
STEP 11.6 From life purposes not set by self To own purposeful (operative) idea.
STEP 11.7 From predestined mission To my task chosen at every moment.
STEP 11.8 From embodiment of ideas by history To purposeful ideas only realized by human agents.
STEP 11.9 From give up on order and unity in the world To formative principle of nature.
STEP 11.10 From examples of death and suffering to show no purpose in Nature To miraculous world full of purposeful design.
STEP 11.11 Harmony between parts forming a perceptible whole To harmony of Ideas that underlie perceptible whole.
STEP 11.12 From see cause and effect world purpose To rejection of absolute world being.
CHAPTER 12 MORAL IMAGINATION (Darwinism and Ethics)
WAY OF KNOWING MYSTICISM In the inner realm something is experienced about the world that cannot be experienced externally. The world reveals its secrets in the inner realm.
REALM Thinking process
PRINCIPLE: Create New Ethical Rules In Each Moment
12.0 From Act On Past Experience To Act On Original Reasoned Decision.
STEP 12.1 From find existing concrete idea To translate universal concept into concrete idea of action.
STEP 12.2 From morally unproductive To condensing ethical concepts into concrete ideas with imagination.
STEP 12.3 From scientific knowledge of one's field To transforming the world without violating existing laws.
STEP 12.4 From moral ideas put to use as operating causes To study of morality as a science of moral ideas.
STEP 12.5 From apply moral laws like laws of diet To newly create my own moral laws in each moment.
STEP 12.6 From assess our moral ideas by comparing with traditional teachings To new moral ideas not drawn from earlier ones.
STEP 12.7 From theory of evolution To individual's particular ethical nature.
STEP 12.8 From rejection of supernatural influence on ethical life To humans are the bearers of morality.
STEP 12.9 From observation of a deed determined by ethical idea To characterization of deed as free.
STEP 12.10 From necessity influencing the will from outside To free deed where action is the image of an ideal intuition.
STEP 12.11 From do what you do not want to do To want to do what you consider to be right.
STEP 12.12 From external powers prevent me from doing what I want To damned to do nothing.
CHAPTER 13 THE VALUE OF LIFE (Optimism and Pessimism)
WAY OF KNOWING TRANSCENDENTALISM: I FEEL IT MUST BE THERE OUTSIDE Outside and beyond anything that can be experienced, the essential nature of things lies hidden. But I do not feel it flow within my soul, I only feel it must be there, outside. Transcending or going beyond.
Realm Feeling process
PRINCIPLE: Achieve Great Ideals With A Powerful Will Sustained By Ethical Intuitions
13.0 From Optimistic or Pessimistic View To Value Of Life.
STEP 13.1 From learn God's intentions for the world To feel happy doing good and cooperating with others.
STEP 13.2 From pessimistic view, life is suffering of cravings of the will To stifle all wishes and needs, be idle.
STEP 13.3 From pain outweighs pleasure in the world To selfless service to world progress.
STEP 13.4 From living in the hope of a distant but intensely desired goal To pleasure of striving.
STEP 13.5 From rational estimate of sum of pleasure To quantity of pleasure.
STEP 13.6 From remove “illusory” feelings by critical examination of pleasure To quality of pleasure.
STEP 13.7 From hopelessness of gaining pleasure from egotistical desires To devotion to selfless goals.
STEP 13.8 From enjoyment exactly matches the duration and intensity of our desire To highest value of pleasure.
STEP 13.9 From desire for goal is greater than resistance of pain To battle against all suffering and pain.
STEP 13.10 From greatest magnitude of pleasure (intensity and duration) To maximum pleasure for amusement.
STEP 13.11 From inspired by ethical ideals to achieve goal To highest pleasure.
STEP 13.12 From achievement of the goals striven for To true enjoyment of life.
CHAPTER 14 INDIVIDUALITY AND TYPE
WAY OF KNOWING OCCULTISM: concealed or hidden from view, essential nature of things is beyond range of ordinary knowledge or sense-perception
REALM Willing process
PRINCIPLE: Identify As A Free Spirit
14.0 From Group Member To Independent, Free Individuality.
STEP 14.1 From members traits and behavior conditioned by group To use group type to explain a person.
STEP 14.2 From use our common qualities as members of human race to restrict freedom To develop own qualities and activities.
STEP 14.3 From judge according to general characteristics of sex To judge according to character.
STEP 14.4 From people suited only to occupation they are now in To have it in them to attain another occupation on their own.
STEP 14.5 From academic study of race, ethnicity, nation and sex To learn nothing of unique character of single individual.
STEP 14.6 From think according to handed over fixed conceptual content To think according to individual conceptual content.
STEP 14.7 From typical characteristics To find way to innermost core of individual.
STEP 14.8 From study of concepts of type To listen to his way of viewing the world and observe his action.
STEP 14.9 From mix in our preconceptions to know another To receive those concepts by which he defines himself.
STEP 14.10 From gradual emancipation from animal-like life and decrees of authorities To free spirit within a community.
STEP 14.11 From member of natural and social organism imitating others or obeying commands To free ethical conduct springing from intuition.
STEP 14.12 From living out moral ideas in practice To contribution to moral life of humanity.
