history of philosophy-第12节

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be　considered　as　individual；　finite　consciousness；　but　as　that　Mind　which　is　universal　and　concrete
within　itself；　this　concrete　universality；　however；　comprehends　all　the　various　sides　and　modes
evolved　in　which　it　is　and　becomes　object　to　the　Idea。　Thus　Mind's　thinking　comprehension　of　self
is　at　the　same　time　the　progression　of　the　total　actuality　evolved。　This　progression　is　not　one　which
takes　its　course　through　the　thought　of　an　individual　and　exhibits　itself　in　a　single　consciousness　for
it　shows　itself　to　be　universal　Mind　presenting　itself　in　the　history　of　the　world　in　all　the　richness　of
its　form。　The　result　of　this　development　is　that　one　form；　one　stage　in　the　Idea　comes　to
consciousness　in　one　particular　race；　so　that　this　race　and　this　time　expresses　only　this　particular
form；　within　which　it　constructs　its　universe　and　works　out　its　conditions。　The　higher　stage；　on　the
other　hand；　centuries　later　reveals　itself　in　another　race　of　people。　

Now　if　we　thus　grasp　the　principles　of　the　Concrete　and　of　Development；　the　nature　of　the
manifold　obtains　quite　another　signification；　and　what　is　said　of　the　diversity　in　philosophies　as　if
the　manifold　were　fixed　and　stationary　and　composed　of　what　is　mutually　exclusive；　is　at　once
refuted　and　relegated　to　its　proper　place。　Such　talk　is　that　in　which　those　who　despise　Philosophy
think　they　possess　an　invincible　weapon　against　it；　and　in　their　truly　beggarly　pride　in　their　pitiful
representations　of　it；　they　are　in　perfect　ignorance　even　of　what　they　have　and　what　they　have　to
know　in　any　meagre　ideas　attained；　such　as　in　that　of　the　manifold　and　diverse。　Yet　this　category　is
one　which　anybody　can　understand；　no　difficulty　is　made　in　regard　to　it；　for　it　is　thoroughly　known；
and　those　who　use　it　think　they　can　do　so　as　being　entirely　comprehensible…as　a　matter　of　course
they　understand　what　it　is。　But　those　who　believe　the　principle　of　diversity　to　be　one　absolutely
fixed；　do　not　know　its　nature；　or　its　dialectic；　the　manifold　or　diverse　is　in　a　state　of　flux；　it　must
really　be　conceived　of　as　in　the　process　of　development；　and　as　but　a　passing　moment。　Philosophy
in　its　concrete　Idea　is　the　activity　of　development　in　revealing　the　differences　which　it　contains
within　itself；　these　differences　are　thoughts；　for　we　are　now　speaking　of　development　in　Thought。
In　the　first　place；　the　differences　which　rest　in　the　Idea　are　manifested　as　thoughts。　Secondly；　these
distinctions　must　come　into　existence；　one　here　and　the　other　there；　and　in　order　that　they　may　do
this；　they　must　be　complete；　that　is；　they　must　contain　within　themselves　the　Idea　in　its　totality。　The
concrete　alone　as　including　and　supporting　the　distinctions；　is　the　actual；　it　is　thus；　and　thus　alone；
that　the　differences　are　in　their　form　entire。　

A　complete　form　of　thought　such　as　is　here　presented；　is　a　Philosophy。　But　the　Idea　contains　the
distinctions　in　a　peculiar　form。　It　may　be　said　that　the　form　is　indifferent；　and　that　the　content；　the
Idea；　is　the　main　consideration；　and　people　think　themselves　quite　moderate　and　reasonable　when
they　state　that　the　different　philosophies　all　contain　the　Idea；　though　in　different　forms；
understanding　by　this　that　these　forms　are　contingent。　But　everything　hangs　on　this：　these　forms　are
nothing　else　than　the　original　distinctions　in　the　Idea　itself；　which　is　what　it　is　only　in　them。　They　are
in　this　way　essential　to；　and　constitute　the　content　of　the　Idea；　which　in　thus　sundering　itself；　attains
to　form。　The　manifold　character　of　the　principles　which　appear；　is；　however；　not　accidental；　but
necessary：　the　different　forms　constitute　an　integral　part　of　the　whole　form。　They　are　the
determinations　of　the　original　Idea；　which　together　constitute　the　whole；　but　as　being　outside　of
one　another；　their　union　does　not　take　place　in　them；　but　in　us；　the　observers。　Each　system　is
determined　as　one；　but　it　is　not　a　permanent　condition　that　the　differences　are　thus　mutually
exclusive。　The　inevitable　fate　of　these　determinations　must　follow；　and　that　is　that　they　shall　be
drawn　together　and　reduced　to　elements　or　moments。　The　independent　attitude　taken　up　by　each
moment　is　again　laid　aside。　After　expansion；　contraction　follows…the　unity　out　of　which　they　first
emerged。　This　third　may　itself　be　but　the　beginning　of　a　farther　development。　It　may　seem　as　if　this
progression　were　to　go　on　into　infinitude；　but　it　has　an　absolute　end　in　view；　which　we　shall　know
better　later　on；　many　turnings　are　necessary；　however；　before　Mind　frees　itself　in　coming　to
consciousness。　

The　temple　of　self…conscious　reason　is　to　be　considered　from　this　the　point　of　view　alone　worthy
of　the　history　of　Philosophy。　It　is　hence　rationally　built　by　an　inward　master　worker；　and　not　in
Solomon's　method；　as　freemasons　build。　The　great　assumption　that　what　has　taken　place　on　this
side；　in　the　world；　has　also　done　so　in　conformity　with　reason…which　is　what　first　gives　the　history
of　Philosophy　its　true　interest…is　nothing　else　than　trust　in　Providence；　only　in　another　form。　As　the
best　of　what　is　in　the　world　is　that　which　Thought　produces；　it　is　unreasonable　to　believe　that
reason　only　is　in　Nature；　and　not　in　Mind。　That　man　who　believes　that　what；　like　the　philosophies；
belongs　to　the　region　of　mind　must　be　merely　contingent；　is　insincere　in　his　belief　in　divine　rule；　and
what　he　says　of　it　is　but　empty　talk。　

A　long　time　is　undoubtedly　required　by　Mind　in　working　out　Philosophy；　and　when　one　first
reflects　on　it；　the　length　of　the　time　may　seem　astonishing；　like　the　immensity　of　the　space　spoken
of　in　astronomy。　But　it　must　be　considered　in　regard　to　the　slow　progress　of　the　world…spirit；　that
there　is　no　need　for　it　to　hasten：…〃A　thousand　years　are　in　Thy　sight　as　one　day。〃　It　has　time　enough
just　because　it　is　itself　outside　of　time；　because　it　is　eternal。　The　fleeting　events　of　the　day　pass　so
quickly　that　there　is　not　time　enough　for；　all　that　has　to　be　done。　Who　is　there　who　does　not　die
before　he　has　achieved　his　aims？　The　world…spirit　has　time　enough；　but　that　is　not　all。　It　is　not　time
alone　which　has　to　be　made　use　of　in　the　acquisition　of　a　conception；　much　else　is　required。　The
fact　that　so　many　races　and　generations　are　devoted　to　these　operations　of　its　consciousness　by
Mind；　and　that　the　appearance　is　so　perpetually　presented　of　rising　up　and　passing　away；　concern
it　not　at　all；　it　is　rich　enough　for　such　displays；　it　pursues　its　work　on　the　largest　possible　scale；　and
has　nations　and　individuals　enough　and　to　spare。　The　saying　that　Nature　arrives　at　its　end　in　the
shortest　possible　way；　and　that　this　is　right；　is　a　trivial　one。　The　way　shown　by　mind　is　indirect；　and
accommodates　itself　to　circumstances。　Considerations　of　finite　life；　such　as　time；　trouble；　and　cost；
have　no　place　here。　We　ought；　too；　to　feel　no　disappointment　that　particular　kinds　of　knowledge
cannot　yet　be　attained；　or　that　this　or　that　is　still　absent。　In　the　history　of　the　world　progression　is
slow。　

b。　The　application　of　the　foregoing　to　the　treatment　of　Philosophy。

The　first　result　which　follows　from　what　has　been　said；　is　that　the　whole　of　the　history　of
Philosophy　is　a　progression　impelled　by　an　inherent　necessity；　and　one　which　is　implicitly　rational
and　a　priori　determined　through　its　Idea；　and　this　the　history　of　Philosophy　has　to　exemplify。
Contingency　must　vanish　on　the　appearance　of　Philosophy。　Its　history　is　just　as　absolutely
determined　as　the　development　of　Notions；　and　the　impelling　force　is　the　inner　dialectic　of　the
forms。　The　finite　is　not　true；　nor　is　it　what　it　is　to　be…its　determinate　nature　is　bound　up　with　its
existence。　But　the　inward　Idea　abolishes　these　finite　forms：　a　philosophy　which　has　not　the
absolute　form　identical　with　the　content；　must　pass　away　because　its　form　is　not　that　of　truth。　

What　follows　secondly　from　what　we　have　said；　is　that　every　philosophy　has　been　and　still　is
necessary。　Thus　none　have　passed　away；　but　all　are　affirmatively　contained　as　elements　in　a　whole。
But　we　must　distinguish　between　the　particular　principle　of　these　philosophies　as　particular；　and　the
realization　of　this　principle　throughout　the　whole　compass　of　the　world。　The　principles　are　retained；
the　most　recent　philosophy　being　the　result　of　all　preceding；　and　hence　no　philosophy　has　ever
been　refuted。　What　has　been　refuted　is　not　the　principle　of　this　philosophy；　but　merely　the　fact　that
this　principle　should　be　considered　final　and　absolute　in　character。　The　atomic　philosophy；　for
example；　has　arrived　at　the　affirmation　that　the　atom　is　the　absolute　existence；　that　it　is　the
indivisible　unit　which　is　also　the　individual　or　subject；　seeing；　then；　that　the　bare　unit　also　is　the
abstract　being…for…self；　the　Absolute　would　be　grasped　as　infinitely　many　units。　The　atomic　theory
has　been　refuted；　and　we　are　atomists　no　longer。　Mind　is　certainly　explicitly　existent　as　a　unit　or
atom；　but　that　is　to　attribute　to　it　a　barren　character　and　qualities　incapable　of　expressing　anything
of　its　depth。　The　principle　is　indeed　retained；　although　it　is　not　the　absolute　in　its　entirety。　This　same
contradiction　appears　in　all　development。　The　develo