A view of Para. no. 9

[Julian Winston]

One of my favorite aphorisms in the Organon is number nine.
I recently obtained a copy of the first English translation done by
Devrient in Dublin in 1833. It is of the 4th edition. While there IS
a Paragraph 9, it is not the one we know. The one we know was added
to the 5th edition. The first English translation of no. 9
therefore, was done by Hering when the Allentown Academy Bookstore
issued the Organon in 1836. It was taken from the 4th by Devrient
with additions from the 5th added by Hering.

So... in 1836,(the first English of the 5th) Hering translated it as:

In the healthy condition of man, the immaterial vital principle which
animates the material body, exercises an absolute sway and maintains
all parts in the most admirable order and harmony, both of sensation
and action, so that our indwelling rational spirit may freely employ
these living, health organs for the superior purposes of our
existence.

In 1849, Dudgeon had it as:

In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force
(autocracy) the dynamis that animates the material body (organism),
rules with unbounded sway and retains all parts of the organism in
admirable and harmonious, vital operation as regards both sensations
and functions, so that our indwelling reason-gifted mind can freely
employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our
existence.

In 1876 Wesselhoeft had it as:

During the healthy condition of man this spirit-like force
(autocracy) animating the material body (organism) rules supreme as
*dynamis*. By it all parts are maintained wonderfully in harmonious
vital process, both in feelings and functions, in order that our
intelligent mind may be free to make the living, healthy, bodily
medium subservient to our higher purposes of being.

In 1880, Fincke has it as:

In the healthy state of man the spirit-like life force (autocracy)
which as dynamis vivifies the material body (organic) rules
absolutely and holds all its parts in admirably harmonic course of
life in sensations and activities, that our in-dwelliong rational
spirit can freely use this living sound instrument for the higher end
of our being.

In 1980, Kunzli has it as:

In the state of health the spirit-like vital force (dynamis)
animating the human organism reigns in supreme sovereignty. It
maintains the sensations and activities of all the parts of the
living organism in a harmony that obligers wonderment. The reasoning
spirit who inhabits the organism can thus freely use this healthy
living instrument to reach the lofty goals of human existence.

Finally, in 1996, Decker/ O'Reilly had it as:

In the healthy human state the spirit-like life force (autocracy)
that enlivens the material organism as dynamis, governs without
restriction and keeps all parts of the body in admirable,
harmonious, vital operation as regards both feelings and functions,
so that our indwelling rational spirit can freely avail itself of
this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our
existence.
All very interesting. Small differences although they all say the
same thing... But are they small? "immaterial vital principle,"
"spiritual vital force," "spirit-like life force" all can been seen
to mean slightly different things...

JW
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[Shannon Nelson]

What a lovely meander!
It's easy to see how the three terms (spirit-like, spiritual, immaterial)
can be considered the same, yet not necessarily... I don't suppose one can
say for sure which is closer to the phrase Hahnemann used? And ah, does it
matter... That paragraph I think is hypnotically beautiful almost no matter
how it's translated.


Shannon
on 12/9/03 4:44 PM, Julian Winston at jwinston@actrix.gen.nz wrote:

[Julian Winston]

At 10:13 PM -0600 12/9/03, Bob&Shannon wrote:

The thing is that ALL of these come from the SAME German:

Im gesunden Zustande des Menschen waltet die geistartige, als Dynamis
den materiellen Körper (Organism) belebende Lebenskraft (Autokratie)
unumschränkt und hält alle seine Theile in bewundernswürdig
harmonischem Lebensgange in Gefühlen und Thätigkeiten, so daß unser
inwohnende, vernünftige Geist sich dieses lebendigen, gesunden
Werkzeugs frei zu dem höhern Zweke unsers Daseyns bendienen kaan.

It's all Greek to me !

Maybe some German/English speakers would like a go at it!

JW

[Patricia Hatherly]

Dear Julian

Thank you for this; it's a gem; and yes, it does say something regarding the
subtlety of language.

Having done the proving on Lac maternum which has much to "say" regarding
incarnation, I'd be inclined to go with the "spirit like Life Force"; as it
seems to me that there's a "personality" regarding this energy/subtle entity
(that carries the thread of cellular memory through all incarnations; past;
future; concurrent [check out the latest "thinking" among Physicists
regarding the string theory as an explanation for the origins of the
Universe]) that is best covered by that particular translation.

regards
Patricia Hatherly

[J.VENKATASUBRAMANIAN]

Vital force,Spirit, Dynamis- whether they be similar or not the
intended thing must be similar

As per Hindu scriptures, the Hierarchy is as follows. In the
ascending order.
body-senses-mind-intellect(reason)-spirit.

What Hn calls the dynamis ? The mind ? The mind is just the flow of
thoughtsand relies on the intellect for Discrimination. This trio has
its lifegiving force in the Spirit-the Atman. Now, after having read
the above, read Dudgeon's.

"In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force
(autocracy) the dynamis that animates the material body (organism),
rules with unbounded sway and retains all parts of the organism in
admirable and harmonious, vital operation as regards both sensations
and functions, so that our indwelling reason-gifted mind can freely
employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our
existence."

Spiritual medicine ?

Regards
venkat

[Irene]

Hi Julian!
Being a german native speaker I tried to translate the § 9 as verbally as possible, with some remarks of mine. Some of the translations you quoted are quite free, in syntax as well as in meaning of specific words.
IM GESUNDEN ZUSTANDE DES MENSCHEN...

In the healthy condition/state of man
DIE GEISTARTIGE ...

the spirit-like [=verbal translation; meant is, to my mind:opposite to physical; I would not use "spiritual", as it has got connotations nowadays that do not go with the real meaning of the word]
LEBENSKRAFT (AUTOKRATIE)

vital force/life-force (autocracy) [principle is an absolutely free translation]
ALS DYNAMIS DEN MATERIELLEN KÖRPER (ORGANISM) BELEBENDE

animating the material body (organism) as dynamis [dynamis is not a german word anyway, so I did not translate it]
WALTET ...

is at work [the word could also mean: rules, but to my mind this would overstress, what is expressed in the parts afterwards anyway]
UNUMSCHRÄNKT...

[should be: adverb to unlimited/unrestricted (in an unlimited/unrestricted way?)]
UND HÄLT ALLE SEINE THEILE

and keeps/maintains all its parts
IN BEWUNDERNSWÜRDIG HARMONISCHEM

in admirably harmonic
LEBENSGANGE

[verbally: walk/way of life]
IN GEFÜHLEN

in sensations [meaning: sensory perceptions; the word "GEFÜHLE" can also mean "feelings, emotions", but I think , this makes less sense here]
UND THÄTIGKEITEN

and actions
SO DASS UNSER INWOHNENDER, VERNÜNFTIGER GEIST

so that our indwelling, rational spirit
SICH ...Frei ...BEDIENEN KANN

can freely make use of
DIESES LEBENDIGEN, GESUNDEN WERKZEUGS

this living, healthy tool/instrument
ZU DEM HÖHERN ZWECKE UNSERES DASEYNS

for the higher purpose of our being.
Regards
Irene
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[Rosemary C. Hyde, Ph.D.]

This process reminds me a bit of comparing translations of the Bible ---
your translation is eloquent, Irene. Thanks.

Rosemary

[Julian Winston]

At 9:50 AM +0000 12/10/03, J.venkatasubramanian wrote:

[snip]
No. The MIND is not the dynamis. The Dynamis is the immaterial force
which animates the body.
I like the term "immaterial" rather than "spiritual" (which has many
other meanings these days) or "spirit-like" (which also can be taken
wrongly).

JW

[BRoten1721]

This from my ' Phosphorous' friend who was bullied into taking a flu
shot
last week by her allopath. ( best read imagining her delightful
southern
drawl)..........bonnie
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