history of philosophy-第117章

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p。　536）；　but　in　fact　it　is　form；　as　the　essential　moment　of　the　movement　of　the　Absolute。　This
Absolute　is　not　at　rest；　and　that　opposition　is　not　the　unresting　Notion；　for　the　Idea；　unresting
though　it　is；　is　yet　at　rest　and　satisfied　in　itself。　Pure　thought　has　advanced　to　the　opposition　of　the
subjective　and　objective；　the　true　reconciliation　of　the　opposition　is　the　perception　that　this
opposition；　when　pushed　to　its　absolute　extreme；　resolves　itself；　as　Schelling　says；　the　opposites
are　in　themselves　identical　…　and　not　only　in　themselves；　but　eternal　life　consists　in　the　very　process
of　continually　producing　the　opposition　and　continually　reconciling　it。　To　know　opposition　in　unity；
and　unity　in　opposition　…　this　is　absolute　knowledge；　and　science　is　the　knowledge　of　this　unity　in
its　whole　development　by　means　of　itself。

This　is　then　the　demand　of　all　time　and　of　Philosophy。　A　now　epoch　has　arisen　in　the　world。　It
would　appear　as　if　the　World…spirit　had　at　last　succeeded　in　stripping　off　from　itself　all　alien
objective　existence；　and　apprehending　itself　at　last　as　absolute　Spirit；　in　developing　from　itself　what
for　it　is　objective；　and　keeping　it　within　its　own　power；　yet　remaining　at　rest　all　the　while。　The　strife
of　the　finite　self…consciousness　with　the　absolute　self…consciousness；　which　last　seemed　to　the
other　to　lie　outside　of　itself；　now　comes　to　an　end。　Finite　self…consciousness　has　ceased　to　be
finite；　and　in　this　way　absolute　self…consciousness　has；　on　the　other　hand；　attained　to　the　reality
which　it　lacked　before。　This　is　the　whole　history　of　the　world　in　general　up　to　the　present　time；　and
the　history　of　Philosophy　in　particular；　the　sole　work　of　which　is　to　depict　this　strife。　Now；　indeed；
it　seems　to　have　reached　its　goal；　when　this　absolute　self…consciousness；　which　it　had　the　work　of
representing；　has　ceased　to　be　alien；　and　when　spirit　accordingly　is　realized　as　spirit。　For　it
becomes　such　only　as　the　result　of　its　knowing　itself　to　be　absolute　spirit；　and　this　it　knows　in　real
scientific　knowledge。　Spirit　produces　itself　as　Nature；　as　the　State；　nature　is　its　unconscious　work；
in　the　course　of　which　it　appears　to　itself　something　different；　and　not　spirit；　but　in　the　State；　in　the
deeds　and　life　of　History；　as　also　of　Art；　it　brings　itself　to　pass　with　consciousness；　it　knows　very
various　modes　of　its　reality；　yet　they　are　only　modes。　In　scientific　knowledge　alone　it　knows　itself
as　absolute　spirit；　and　this　knowledge；　or　spirit；　is　its　only　true　existence。　This　then　is　the　standpoint
of　the　present　day；　and　the　series　of　spiritual　forms　is　with　it　for　the　present　concluded。

At　this　point　I　bring　this　history　of　Philosophy　to　a　close。　It　has　been　my　desire　that　you　should
learn　from　it　that　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　not　a　blind　collection　of　fanciful　ideas；　nor　a　fortuitous
progression。　I　have　rather　sought　to　show　the　necessary　development　of　the　successive
philosophies　from　one　another；　so　that　the　one　of　necessity　presupposes　another　preceding　it。　The
general　result　of　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　this：　in　the　first　place；　that　throughout　all　time　there　has
been　only　one　Philosophy；　the　contemporary　differences　of　which　constitute　the　necessary　aspects
of　the　one　principle；　in　the　second　place；　that　the　succession　of　philosophic　systems　is　not　due　to
chance；　but　represents　the　necessary　succession　of　stages　in　the　development　of　this　science；　in　the
third　place；　that　the　final　philosophy　of　a　period　is　the　result　of　this　development；　and　is　truth　in　the
highest　form　which　the　self…consciousness　of　spirit　affords　of　itself。　The　latest　philosophy　contains
therefore　those　which　went　before；　it　embraces　in　itself　all　the　different　stages　thereof；　it　is　the
product　and　result　of　those　that　preceded　it。　We　can　now；　for　example；　be　Platonists　no　longer。
Moreover　we　must　raise　ourselves　once　for　all　above　the　pettinesses　of　individual　opinions；
thoughts；　objections；　and　difficulties；　and　also　above　our　own　vanity；　as　if　our　individual　thoughts
were　of　any　particular　value。　For　to　apprehend　the　inward　substantial　spirit　is　the　standpoint　of　the
individual；　as　parts　of　the　whole；　individuals　are　like　blind　men；　who　are　driven　forward　by　the
indwelling　spirit　of　the　whole。　Our　standpoint　now　is　accordingly　the　knowledge　of　this　Idea　as
spirit；　as　absolute　Spirit；　which　in　this　way　opposes　to　itself　another　spirit；　the　finite；　the　principle　of
which　is　to　know　absolute　spirit；　in　order　that　absolute　spirit　may　become　existent　for　it。　I　have
tried　to　develop　and　bring　before　your　thoughts　this　series　of　successive　spiritual　forms　pertaining
to　Philosophy　in　its　progress；　and　to　indicate　the　connection　between　them。　This　series　is　the　true
kingdom　of　spirits；　the　only　kingdom　of　spirits　that　there　is　…　it　is　a　series　which　is　not　a　multiplicity；
nor　does　it　even　remain　a　series；　if　we　understand　thereby　that　one　of　its　members　merely　follows
on　another；　but　in　the　very　process　of　coming　to　the　knowledge　of　itself　it　is　transformed　into　the
moments　of　the　one　Spirit；　or　the　one　self…present　Spirit。　This　long　procession　of　spirits　is　formed
by　the　individual　pulses　which　beat　in　its　life；　they　are　the　organism　of　our　substance；　an　absolutely
necessary　progression；　which　expresses　nothing　less　than　the　nature　of　spirit　itself；　and　which　lives
in　us　all。　We　have　to　give　ear　to　its　urgency　…　when　the　mole　that　is　within　forces　its　way　on　…　and
we　have　to　make　it　a　reality。　It　is　my　desire　that　this　history　of　Philosophy　should　contain　for　you　a
summons　to　grasp　the　spirit　of　the　time；　which　is　present　in　us　by　nature；　and　…　each　in　his　own
place　…　consciously　to　bring　it　from　its　natural　condition；　i。e。　from　its　lifeless　seclusion；　into　the　light
of　day。

I　have　to　express　my　thanks　to　you　for　the　attention　with　which　you　have　listened　to　me　while　I
have　been　making　this　attempt；　it　is　in　great　measure　due　to　you　that　my　efforts　have　met　with　so
great　a　measure　of　success。　And　it　has　been　a　source　of　pleasure　to　myself　to　have　been
associated　with　you　in　this　spiritual　community；　I　ought　not　to　speak　of　it　as　if　it　were　a　thing　of　the
past；　for　I　hope　that　a　spiritual　bond　has　been　knit　between　us　which　will　prove　permanent。　I　bid
you　a　most　hearty　farewell。

　

（The　closing　lecture　of　the　series　was　given　on　the　22nd　March；　1817；　on　the　14th　March；　1818；
on　the　12th　August；　1819；　on　the　23rd　March；　1821；　on　the　30th　March；　1824；　on　the　28th
March；　1828；　and　on　the　26th　March；　1830。）






The　End