These additional writings, delivered subsequently to mymore important and systematic works, consist partlyof a few essays on a wide variety of special topicsand partly of isolated thoughts on even more diversesubjects, all brought together here because, largelydue to their subject matter, they could not find aplace within the systematic works; some, however,merely because they came too late to claim theirrightful place there.

Above all, I had in mind here those readers who areacquainted with my systematic and more comprehensivework, for perhaps they too will find here somedesired elucidation. But on the whole the content ofthese volumes, with the exception of a few passages,will be intelligible and palatable even to thoselacking such acquaintance. Nevertheless, the readerfamiliar with my philosophy will be at an advantage,because it forever casts its light on everything Ithink and write, albeit only from afar; as, on theother hand, it itself receives some furtherillumination from everything that emanates from mymind.