philosophy of history-第19节

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beyond　this　circle　of　feeling　and　natural　love；　and　first　attains　the　consciousness　of　personality；　we
have　that　dark；　dull　centre　of　indifference；　in　which　neither　Nature　nor　Spirit　is　open　and
transparent；　and　for　which　Nature　and　Spirit　can　become　open　and　transparent　only　by　means　of　a
further　process；　—　a　very　lengthened　culture　of　that　Will　at　length　become　self…conscious。
Consciousness　alone　is　clearness；　and　is　that　alone　for　which　God　（or　any　other　existence）　can　be
revealed。　In　its　true　form　—　in　absolute　universality　—　nothing　can　be　manifested　except　to
consciousness　made　percipient　of　it。　Freedom　is　nothing　but　the　recognition　and　adoption　of　such
universal　substantial　objects　as　Right　and　Law；　and　the　production　of　a　reality　that　is　accordant
with　them　—　the　State。　Nations　may　have　passed　a　long　life　before　arriving　at　this　their　destination；
and　during　this　period；　they　may　have　attained　considerable　culture　in　some　directions。　This
ante…historical　period　—　consistently　with　what　has　been　said　—　lies　out　of　our　plan；　whether　a　real
history　followed　it；　or　the　peoples　in　question　never　attained　a　political　constitution。　—　It　is　a　great
discovery　in　history　—　as　of　a　new　world　—　which　has　been　made　within　rather　more　than　the　last
twenty　years；　respecting　the　Sanskrit　and　the　connection　of　the　European　languages　with　it。　In
particular；　the　connection　of　the　German　and　Indian　peoples　has　been　demonstrated；　with　as　much
certainty　as　such　subjects　allow　of。　Even　at　the　present　time　we　know　of　peoples　which　scarcely
form　a　society；　much　less　a　State；　but　that　have　been　long　known　as　existing；　while　with　regard　to
others；　which　in　their　advanced　condition　excite　our　especial　interest；　tradition　reaches　beyond　the
record　of　the　founding　of　the　State；　and　they　experienced　many　changes　prior　to　that　epoch。　In　the
connection　just　referred　to；　between　the　languages　of　nations　so　widely　separated；　we　have　a
result　before　us；　which　proves　the　diffusion　of　those　nations　from　Asia　as　a　centre；　and　the　so
dissimilar　development　of　what　had　been　originally　related；　as　an　incontestable　fact；　not　as　an
inference　deduced　by　that　favourite　method　of　combining；　and　reasoning　from；　circumstances
grave　and　trivial；　which　has　already　enriched　and　will　continue　to　enrich　history　with　so　many
fictions　given　out　as　facts。　But　that　apparently　so　extensive　range　of　events　lies　beyond　the　pale　of
history；　in　fact　preceded　it。　In　our　language　the　term　History　unites　the　objective　with　the
subjective　side；　and　denotes　quite　as　much　the　historia　rerum　gestarum；　as　the　res　gestae
themselves；　on　the　other　hand　it　comprehends　not　less　what　has　happened；　than　the　narration　of
what　has　happened。　This　union　of　the　two　meanings　we　must　regard　as　of　a　higher　order　than　mere
outward　accident；　we　must　suppose　historical　narrations　to　have　appeared　contemporaneously
with　historical　deeds　and　events。　It　is　an　internal　vital　principle　common　to　both　that　produces　them
synchronously。　Family　memorials；　patriarchal　traditions；　have　an　interest　confined　to　the　family　and
the　clan。　The　uniform　course　of　events　which　such　a　condition　implies；　is　no　subject　of　serious
remembrance；　though　distinct　transactions　or　turns　of　fortune；　may　rouse　Mnemosyne　to　form
conceptions　of　them；　—　in　the　same　way　as　love　and　the　religious　emotions　provoke　imagination　to
give　shape　to　a　previously　formless　impulse。　But　it　is　the　State　which　first　presents　subject…matter
that　is　not　only　adapted　to　the　prose　of　History；　but　involves　the　production　of　such　history　in　the
very　progress　of　its　own　being。　Instead　of　merely　subjective　mandates　on　the　part　of　government；
—　sufficing　for　the　needs　of　the　moment；　—　a　community　that　is　acquiring　a　stable　existence；　and
exalting　itself　into　a　State；　requires　formal　commands　and　laws　—　comprehensive　and　universally
binding　prescriptions；　and　thus　produces　a　record　as　well　as　an　interest　concerned　with　intelligent；
definite　—　and；　in　their　results　—　lasting　transactions　and　occurrences；　on　which　Mnemosyne；　for
the　behoof　of　the　perennial　object　of　the　formation　and　constitution　of　the　State；　is　impelled　to
confer　perpetuity。　Profound　sentiments　generally；　such　as　that　of　love；　as　also　religious　intuition　and
its　conceptions；　are　in　themselves　complete　—　constantly　present　and　satisfying；　but　that　outward
existence　of　a　political　constitution　which　is　enshrined　in　its　rational　laws　and　customs；　is　an
imperfect　Present；　and　cannot　be　thoroughly　understood　without　a　knowledge　of　the　past。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　69

The　periods　—　whether　we　suppose　them　to　be　centuries　or　millennia　—　that　were　passed　by
nations　before　history　was　written　among　them；　—　and　which　may　have　been　filled　with
revolutions；　nomadic　wanderings；　and　the　strangest　mutations；　—　are　on　that　very　account　destitute
of　objective　history；　because　they　present　no　subjective　history；　no　annals。　We　need　not　suppose
that　the　records　of　such　periods　have　accidentally　perished；　rather；　because　they　were　not
possible；　do　we　find　them　wanting。　Only　in　a　State　cognisant　of　Laws；　can　distinct　transactions
take　place；　accompanied　by　such　a　clear　consciousness　of　them　as　supplies　the　ability　and
suggests　the　necessity　of　an　enduring　record。　It　strikes　every　one；　in　beginning　to　form　an
acquaintance　with　the　treasures　of　Indian　literature；　that　a　land　so　rich　in　intellectual　products；　and
those　of　the　profoundest　order　of　thought；　has　no　History；　and　in　this　respect　contrasts　most
strongly　with　China　—　an　empire　possessing　one　so　remarkable；　one　going　back　to　the　most
ancient　times。　India　has　not　only　ancient　books　relating　to　religion；　and　splendid　poetical
productions；　but　also　ancient　codes；　the　existence　of　which　latter　kind　of　literature　has　been
mentioned　as　a　condition　necessary　to　the　origination　of　History　—　and　yet　History　itself　is　not
found。　But　in　that　country　the　impulse　of　organisation；　in　beginning　to　develop　social　distinctions；
was　immediately　petrified　in　the　merely　natural　classification　according　to　castes；　so　that　although
the　laws　concern　themselves　with　civil　rights；　they　make　even　these　dependent　on　natural
distinctions；　and　are　especially　occupied　with　determining　the　relations　（Wrongs　rather　than　Rights）
of　those　classes　towards　each　other；　i。e。；　the　privileges　of　the　higher　over　the　lower。　Consequently；
the　element　of　morality　is　banished　from　the　pomp　of　Indian　life　and　from　its　political　institutions。
Where　that　iron　bondage　of　distinctions　derived　from　nature　prevails；　the　connection　of　society　is
nothing　but　wild　arbitrariness；　—　transient　activity；　—　or　rather　the　play　of　violent　emotion　without
any　goal　of　advancement　or　development。　Therefore　no　intelligent　reminiscence；　no　object　for
Mnemosyne　presents　itself；　and　imagination　—　confused　though　profound　—　expatiates　in　a　region；
which；　to　be　capable　of　History；　must　have　had　an　aim　within　the　domain　of　Reality；　and；　at　the
same　time　；　of　substantial　Freedom。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　70

Since　such　are　the　conditions　indispensable　to　a　history；　it　has　happened　that　the　growth　of
Families　to　Clans；　of　Clans　to　Peoples；　and　their　local　diffusion　consequent　upon　this　numerical
increased　series　of　facts　which　itself　suggests　so　many　instances　of　social　complication；　war；
revolution；　and　ruin；　—　a　process　which　is　so　rich　in　interest；　and　so　comprehensive　in　extent；　—
has　occurred　without　giving　rise　to　History：　moreover；　that　the　extension　and　organic　growth　of　the
empire　of　articulate　sounds　has　itself　remained　voiceless　and　dumb；　—　a　stealthy；　unnoticed
advance。　It　is　a　fact　revealed　by　philological　monuments；　that　languages；　during　a　rude　condition　of
the　nations　that　have　spoken　them；　have　been　very　highly　developed；　that　the　human　understanding
occupied　this　theoretical　region　with　great　ingenuity　and　completeness。　For　Grammar；　in　its
extended　and　consistent　form；　is　the　work　of　thought；　which　makes　its　categories　distinctly　visible
therein。　It　is；　moreover；　a　fact；　that　with　advancing　social　and　political　civilisation；　this　systematic
completeness　of　intelligence　suffers　attrition；　and　language　thereupon　becomes　poorer　and　ruder：　a
singular　phenomenon　—　that　the　progress　towards　a　more　highly　intellectual　condition；　while
expanding　and　cultivating　rationality；　should　disregard　that　intelligent　amplitude　and　expressiveness
—　should　find　it　an　obstruction　and　contrive　to　do　without　it。　Speech　is　the　act　of　theoretic
intelligence　in　a　special　sense；　it　is　its　external　manifestation。　Exercises　of　memory　and　imagination
without　language；　are　direct；　＇non…speculative＇　manifestations。　But　this　act　of　theoretic　intelligence
itself；　as　also　its　subsequent　development；　and　the　more　concrete　class　of　facts　connected　with　it；
…viz。　the　spreading　of　peoples　over　the　earth；　their　separation　from　each　other；　their　comings　and
wanderings　—　remain　involved　in　the　obscurity　of　a　voiceless　past。　They　are　not　acts　of　Will
becoming　self…conscious　—　of　Freedom；　mirroring　itself　in　a　phenomenal　form；　and　creating　for
itself　a　proper　reality。　Not　partaking　of　this　element　of　substantia