By

Joseph D. Dismore

I thought I would bring up a topic that may be of interest to those studying, the Magickal "Will", and the Action of the "Determinate Will" brought on by a cause of the necessary Action of the Will and Free Choice since its cause is determined by an Act of Free Choice. The word "Action" when describing the Self-Determinate Will has been debated by Johnathon Edwards in his "Freedom of The Will" Section II. Also contained in this Article are descriptions of the "True Will" as described by Aleister Crowley and also the "Moral Will" as described by Johanne Gottlieb Fichte a Philosopher of the Post Kantian times. I have also added some of my own personal insights to compare the similarities and differences of these views as held by myself both a student of Philosophy and a Practicing Thelemite. I hope you find the Article interesting and perhaps even beneficial in understanding some of the concepts as brought up by these Authors and Practitioners.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the definition that I am using for the word "Will" is = The faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action. Self-Determinate Will, would then be expressed not in the context of the Armenian divines but as "Controlled Self-Action of a decision or activity brought into action through self-determination of the Higher Faculties, or True Self". Thus the meaning of the word "Action" as the Armenian divinities use it is inconsistent with the use of the word "Action" in my understanding of the description of the Self-Determination brought on by or caused by either necessity, or even the preceding cause of the effect which in its Action causes the mind to be passive subject to the power of the preceding cause, which is foregoing choice, and therefore cannot be active So that here we have this contradiction, that action is always the effect of foregoing choice, and therefore cannot be action; because it is passive to the power of that preceding causal choice, and the mind cannot be active and passive in the same thing, at the same time. Again they say, necessity is utterly inconsistent with action, and a necessary action is a contradiction; and so their notion of action implies contingence, and excludes all necessity. And, therefore, their notion of action implies, that it has no necessary dependence or connection with anything foregoing; for such a dependence or connection excludes contingence, and implies necessity. And yet their notion of action implies necessity, and supposes that it is necessary, and cannot be contingent. For they suppose, that whatever is properly called action, must be determined by the "Will" and "Free Choice"; and this is as much as to say, that it must be necessary, being dependent upon, and determined by, something foregoing, namely, a foregoing act of choice.
"Freedom of Will"
By: Johnathon Edwards
Part II

The Doctrines of "Will" or "Thelema" is a central doctrine of Aleister Crowley's Liber Al vel Legis or "Book of The Law" in whose system the central doctrine is that knowing one's "True Will" is the ultimate purpose and destiny of every being. This is summed up in the following phrases from Liber Legis.

"Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law" (AL 1:40)
"Love is the law, love under will" (AL 1:57)
"The word of the Law is Thelema" (AL 1:39)
"There is no Law beyond do what thou will" (AL III:60)

The "True Will" is a magical idea that could be described in its dynamic aspect as the singular path of possible action that encounters no resistance in going because it supported by the inertia of the whole Universe "A Man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of the Universe to assist him" "Magick in Theory and Practice" Theorem 9, Pg. XV; two true will can never contradict each other because each one has its own absolutely unique career in its passage through Infinite Space. Hence to follow ones True Will means to respect all True Wills, described as "Love is the Law, Love under Will." Again Aleister Crowley states: "Know firmly, O my Son, that the True Will cannot err; for it is thine appointed Course in Heaven, in whose Order is Perfection." (Liber Aleph, p.13

Again Crowley states concerning the "True Will" "The most common cause of failure in life is ignorance of one's own "True Will," or of the means by which to fulfill that Will."
"Magick" Book 4, p.127
Aleister Crowley

In speaking of the Spontaneous Activity of the Pure Ego, which can be compared to the Necessary "Actions" brought about by the Causal effect of the "Natural Will", the "Freedom of Choice" and those necessary actions whereby we exist in an environment whereby we must Act and be Acted upon by Stimuli, both within our own Psyche and from without through the contact with the Physical Environment, Johanne Gottlieb Fichte gives an account of the Activity of the Pure Ego and how it comes to exist for itself through Intellectual Intuition, and this I compare the Spontaneous Natural Will of Necessity to the Reflection or Positing of this Natural Will with that of the "True Will" of the Higher Self.

The Philosopher Johanne Gottlieb Fichte explains the nature of the spontaneous Activity of the Pure Ego, "Now the Absolute or Pure Ego is not the Individual Finite Self but an Infinite (better, unlimited) Activity. As Spontaneous Activity the Pure Ego does not exist "For Itself". It comes to exist "For Itself", as an Ego, only in the Intellectual Intuition by which the Philosopher in Transcendental Reflection Apprehends the Ego's Spontaneous Activity. It is through the Act of Reflection 'Through an Activity Directed Towards an Activity that the Ego first comes to be originally "For Itself". In Intellectual Intuition therefore, the Pure Ego is said to Posit itself, and the Fundamental Proposition of Philosophy is that 'The Ego simply Posits in an Original Way Its Own Being'. In Transcendental Reflection the Philosopher goes back, as it were, to the Ultimate ground of Consciousness. And in his Intellectual Intuition the Pure Ego Affirms Itself. It is not demonstrated as a conclusion from premises: it is seen as Affirming itself and so as Existing. To Posit Itself and to Be are, as said of the Ego, Completely the Same.
"Johanne Gottlieb Fichte"
"A History of Philosophy"

Thus the Self-Determinate Will follows in my understanding the model of Spontaneous Action of the Pure Ego Affirming Itself through Action in the Existent World by Reflecting its Pure Condition of the Higher Self through the True Will into the Realm of the Natural Will of Necessity. The "Will" is spontaneous and thus acts as an Spontaneous Activity of ceaseless Motion through interaction with a cause, the Action of the Spontaneous Natural Will is ceaseless in its strivings with the World of Interaction and the Causal Free Choice of the Higher Self. The Self-Determination of the one Willing through Self-Consciously Controlled Individual Placement of the Spontaneous Activity of the Natural Will over and against the Directed and Initiated Action of the True Will which is in Accord with the Inertia of the Universe, effects the Natural Will through Intellectual Intuition or Self-reflection, and the Will becomes Conscious to the Finite Ego and the Cogito - " I Am", becomes a Consciously Active or Determinate, "I Am Becoming", as spoken of the "Will" taking upon itself the Higher Orderings of its True, Pure and Intrinsic Nature, thus becoming a "Thing For Itself"

Until the Individual Will has Posited Itself in Consciousness, and therefore Realized its Nature can it be said to Affirm its Own Existence, an Existence of Action both of Necessity to Act, and of Spontaneous Action of the Cause of Free Choice and True Will, brought about by Decision and Initiation or Self-Determination. Commonly referred by some as "Discovering One's true Will" by Apprehending the Activity of the Spontaneity of the Natural Activity or Necessary Action of the Natural Will through Positing Itself Over and Against the Initiated or Conscious Spiritual Will, or "True Will". The Directed and Initiated Will or Controlled Activity becomes discernable and recognizable as distinct Localized Actions of the True Will through the Finite Ego, these are Actions that take place through the exertion of Force of Will in varying degrees, and with distinct, calculatable moments and importance, that can be experienced Consciously with the Individual. The Non-Localized Activity of the Spontaneous Will or Natural Will of Man follow after the form of Sense Object.

According to Aleister Crowley in "Magick in Theory and Practice" Theorem viii:
"A Man whose Conscious Will is at odds with his True Will is wasting his strength. He cannot hope to influence his environment efficiently."

This describes to me a type of Division or Degrees of "Will," in that, the Spontaneous Will is Mans Will or mans Natural Will, which reacts purely from a desirous Physical nature of Necessity, or Consciousness without Self-Consciousness of Ones Activity of Higher Will. It is concerning the Acts of Sensualities, or Impulses and Desires which belong to Man as a Product of Nature, or of his Environment, The Satisfaction through some relation to a Determinate Natural Object and consequently appearing to depend on the Object for Satisfaction. This is Mans first Initial Consciousness of Objective Will or natural Will, which has not been Reflected upon and Realized into the Self-Conscious Activity of the Higher Self, or True Will.

Mans "True or Higher Will" which Resides in the Moment of man becoming Aware that He Is Aware of His Conscious Activity in Making Decisions and Initiating Particular Actions According To Will., this could be spoken as the Spiritual Impulse or the Higher Self Reflecting Upon the Nature of Willful Decisions and Actions and Seeing Himself not Merely as a product of Nature, but Aware of Himself as a Subject for whose "True Self-determinate Will" Exists and Determines His Spiritual Impulse to an Goal or Aim of Complete Freedom and Independence from his Compulserary enthrallment of the Objective Purely Natural Impulse, through enacting a Higher Vision or Vocation, Calling or duty of His "Moral Will"

By Mans Higher "Moral Will" I do not mean, the teachings of dogma one has been conditioned to believe or accept as a moral code of conduct by outside or Objective Natural Objects or Persons, but, by, the Impulsion to perform certain Actions simply for the sake of performing them, Without Regard to External Purposes or Ends, and to Leave Undone other Actions simply for the sake of leaving them undone, again Without regard to external Purposes or Ends. And According to Fichte, this nature of Man in so far as the Impulsion necessarily Manifests Itself Within Him is His Moral or Ethical nature.