Strebekraft

14:21 Aug 5, 2010 

Thank you for the detailed explanation!

17:04 Aug 4, 2010 

I don't think the distinction applies to this text because the question of whether the author is discussing the abstract capacity for "appetite" or the actual, psychological or physiological exercise of this capacity is not at issue here. It seems clear that the discussion concerns the capacity as such. Hence, whatever translation is chosen, it should be the same for both terms. That much I can be certain of.
My reference in this case was more a quotation than a "reading", phenomenological or of another nature.

However, back to the main subject, I do have my doubts now about the translation. Here is my problem: in its Scholastic use, which is the relevant sense here, appetitus was considered, in opposition to intellectus, one of the two basic capacities of the human soul. Because of this fundamental status, it covers a broad semantic range, which includes conscious will power (a. intellectivus), and sensual inclination or desire (a. sensitivus). Our occurences of the term here refer to "appetite" as a guide for action and a source of laughter. Therefore, the term seems to be used in its full breadth here. Perhaps a more neutral solution is thus my earlier suggestion: "appetite".

16:33 Aug 4, 2010 

Thank you kindly for your comment. Very interesting. Is this a phenomenological reading of Kant you are presenting? Cheers, Andy

16:14 Aug 4, 2010 

Thanks for providing the three example sentences for the word you need to translate. With reference to andyhd's and Marcos' entries below, we now need to see similar examples for "Strebevermoegen" to see if they are being used synonymously or not.