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January 14, 2008
laziness
Man like the matter of which he is made, is naturally lazy and indolent. Hence the hard struggle between need and indolence begins. The former is the victor, but the later complains bitterly. By the sweat of his brow man cultivates his field, and he is angered when it also bears thorns and thistles which he has to uproot. Need is not the mother of vice; need is the impetus toward activity and virtue. The source of vice is laziness. To enjoy just as much pleasure as possible and to do just as little as possible: this is the concern of a corrupted nature. The various attempts to accomplish this constitute the vices of such a nature. There is no salvation for man until he successfully conquers his natural indolence and finds all of his joy and his pleasure in activity alone. This is the purpose served by all of that agony which accompanies the feeling of need. It should spur us into action.
Fichte - Lectures Concerning the Scholar's Vocation
Posted by amin at January 14, 2008 12:16 AM