Principle Of Life

Question

I would like to understand what is meant by this expression:

I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?

This sentence came in the following context:

When I had arrived at this point and had become as well acquainted
  with the theory and practice of natural philosophy as depended on the
  lessons of any of the professors at Ingolstadt, my residence there
  being no longer conducive to my improvements, I thought of returning
  to my friends and my native town, when an incident happened that
  protracted my stay. Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of
  life proceed? It was a bold question, and one which has never been
  considered as a mystery; yet with how many things are we upon the
  brink of becoming acquainted, if

What is mean by the principle of life here? 
And how can this principle of life proceed?

There is a meaning underlying in this expression, but I can't understand it.

emsoff · Accepted Answer

The essential part of the question is in the interrogative.

Whence (adverb) : From what source

The author is saying that though he believed he had accomplished all that he could at his current position, he was still routinely plagued by a question regarding the source of life.

Considering he's discussing natural philosophy I would assume he's referring the source of life from abiotic material. In this case I would consider "principle" to not mean belief, but rather the foundation of something. The question, in my mind, is something like:

What is the foundational source of life?

bib · Answer

The phrase you are asking about is really Whence ... did the principle of life proceed?.  In other words

What is the source of the principle of life?

KCH · Answer

Don't forget the Whence, otherwise it doesn't make sense.

Principle means beginning. It comes from Latin where it does not have an 'L'. In the Latin translation of Genesis In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram.
In the beginning God created heaven and earth.

Principle Of Life

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