[59] The love of life, that is, the instinct of self-preservation, seems rather to increase than to decrease with the diminution or uncertainty of the means of living, inasmuch as man is thereby spurred to greater _activity_, which developes a stronger _consciousness of life_. Only this want must not have reached its maximum; for the necessary result of that is _despair_, that is a conviction of the impossibility of preserving life, and consequently a desire to put an end to it. Thus every passion, and therefore also the love of life, is increased by the obstacles which come in the way of its gratification: only these obstacles must not make the gratification of the passions _impossible_, else despair is the result. [60] "Afterwards when he spoke of Poland, he used to be deeply affected in thinking of his wife, from whom he was obliged to separate. He was really very much devoted to her, and her fate went home to his very heart. It was easy when the subject came up in conversation, to read in his face the deep sorrow which he felt; his liveliness then sensibly faded away, he became by and by perfectly silent, was usually incapable of further entertainment, and went earlier than usual home." _Maimoniana_, p. 177. He seems, however, at a later period, to have at least spoken to his friends about marrying a second time; but the project was never carried out. _Ibid._, p. 248.--_Trans._ [61] He died 4th Jan., 1786.--_Trans._ [62] Kant's work must still have been quite new, as it appeared in 1781.--_Trans._ [63] The name is left blank by Maimon, but is known to be that which I have inserted. See Fischer's _Geschichte der neueren Philosophie_, Vol. v., p. 131.--_Trans._ [64] Samuel Levi, according to _Maimoniana_, p. 78.--_Trans._ [65] See above, p. 41--_Trans._ [66] The last few pages have been condensed from the original; in which the author gives detailed information, which seems no longer of any special interest, about the articles he contributed to periodicals.-- _Trans._