2872. Speech is the representation of all nature's sonorous figures in the human organ of sound.
2873. Through speech Man delineates himself in spiritual outlines or sketches, which, devoid of matter (or body), he sets down before himself. Such sketches are easily seen through, since to them every material covering is wanting, and they lie purely before the sensation, as the law, the will of nature.
2874. Through speech Man appears as a double essence. He is a corporeal essence; and the spoken word appears before him in the same outlines, but without body. When conversing, Man is a self-manifestation unto self.
2875. Previous to speech no self-consciousness originates.
2876. Without an auditory organ there is no self-consciousness.
2877. To the organ of hearing, however, belongs also the auditory nerve and the cerebellum. Without a cerebellum there is no self-consciousness.
2878. While Man appears unto himself, he appears also to change. Nature is gloomy, incomprehensible; the spirit is clear, and enlightens her.
2879. Manifestation is only possible through self-manifestation; through a doubling of itself, through its expression.
2880. Animals appear only, in so far as they are individual self-manifestations of Man.
2881. With speech Man creates unto himself his world. Without speech there is no world. For the Apes there is no world, but only tree-fruits, female and male.