history of philosophy-第13章

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has　taken　place　in　reason　not　itself　be　rational？　That　faith　must　surely　be　the　more　reasonable　in
which　chance　is　not　made　ruler　over　human　affairs；　and　it　is　the　business　of　Philosophy　to
recognize　that　however　much　its　own　manifestations　may　be　history　likewise；　it　is　yet　determined
through　the　Idea　alone。　

Through　these　general　preliminary　conceptions　the　categories　are　now　determined；　the　more
immediate　application　of　which　to　the　history　of　Philosophy　we　have　now　to　consider。　This
application　will　bring　before　us　the　most　significant　aspects　in　this　history。　

a。　The　development　in　Time　of　the　various　Philosophies。

The　first　question　which　may　be　asked　in　reference　to　this　history；　concerns　that　distinction　in
regard　to　the　manifestation　of　the　Idea；　which　has　just　been　noticed。　It　is　the　question　as　to　how　it
happens　that　Philosophy　appears　to　be　a　development　in　time　and　has　a　history。　The　answer　to
this　question　encroaches　on　the　metaphysics　of　Time；　and　it　would　be　a　digression　from　our　object
to　give　here　more　than　the　elements　on　which　the　answer　rests。　

It　has　been　shown　above　in　reference　to　the　existence　of　Mind；　that　its　Being　is　its　activity。　Nature；
on　the　contrary；　is；　as　it　is；　its　changes　are　thus　only　repetitions；　and　its　movements　take　the　form
of　a　circle　merely。　To　express　this　better；　the　activity　of　Mind　is　to　know　itself。　I　am；　immediately；
but　this　I　am　only　as　a　living　organism；　as　Mind　I　am　only　in　so　far　as　I　know　myself。　Know　thyself；
the　inscription　over　the　temple　of　the　oracle　at　Delphi；　is　the　absolute　command　which　is　expressed
by　Mind　in　its　essential　character。　But　consciousness　really　implies　that　for　myself；　I　am　object　to
myself。　In　forming　this　absolute　division　between　what　is　mine　and　myself；　Mind　constitutes　its
existence　and　establishes　itself　as　external　to　itself。　It　postulates　itself　in　the　externality　which　is　just
the　universal　and　the　distinctive　form　of　existence　in　Nature。　But　one　of　the　forms　of　externality　is
Time；　and　this　form　requires　to　be　farther　examined　both　in　the　Philosophy　of　Nature　and　the　finite
Mind。　

This　Being　in　existence　and　therefore　Being　in　time　is　a　moment　not　only　of　the　individual
consciousness；　which　as　such　is　essentially　finite；　but　also　of　the　development　of　the　philosophical
Idea　in　the　element　of　Thought。　For　the　Idea；　thought　of　as　being　at　rest；　is；　indeed；　not　in　Time。
To　think　of　it　as　at　rest；　and　to　preserve　it　in　the　form　of　immediacy　is　equivalent　to　its　inward
perception。　But　the　Idea　as　concrete；　is；　as　has　been　shown；　the　unity　of　differences；　it　is　not　really
rest；　and　its　existence　is　not　really　sense…perception；　but　as　differentiation　within　itself　and　therefore
as　development；　it　comes　into　existent　Being　and　into　externality　in　the　element　of　Thought；　and
thus　pure　Philosophy　appears　in　thought　as　a　progressive　existence　in　time。　But　this　element　of
Thought　is　itself　abstract　and　is　the　activity　of　a　single　consciousness。　Mind　is；　however　not　only　to
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　on