Although the thoughts to be imparted here yield no firmresult, indeed, might be called a mere metaphysicalfantasy, I have not been able to bring myself toabandon themto oblivion, since by some they will bewelcomed, at the very least as a comparison withtheir own thoughts nurtured on the same matter. Yetthey too have to be reminded that everything aboutthese thoughts is doubtful, not only the solutionbut indeed the problem. Accordingly, we can expectanything but definite explanations, rather the mereairing of a very obscure state of affairs, whichnevertheless, from time to time, may have forceditself on every one of us during the course of ourown life, or looking back on it. Our meditations onthis may even not be much more than a groping andfumbling in the dark, where we are aware ofsomething being there, yet do not really know whereor what it is. If I should nevertheless adopt apositive or even dogmatic tone at times, let it besaid here once and for all that this happens only inorder not to become dull and redundant through theconstant repetition of formulas of doubt andconjecture, and that the following is not to betaken seriously.

The belief in special providence, or else in thesupernatural guidance of events in the course of anindividual's life, has been universally popular atall times, and occasionally is even found, firmlyand unshakably, in thinking minds averse to allsuperstition, even without any connection to anydefinite dogmas. – First of all, we can object tothis belief that, in the manner of all belief ingods, it does not have its source in cognition, but in thewill, and isprimarily the child of our neediness. For the dataprovided merely by cognition might be ascribed to the factthat chance, which plays us a hundred cruel tricksthat seem intentional in their maliciousness, oncein a while turns out to be particularly favourable,or indirectly provides very well for us.