history of philosophy-第18章

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thought　within　itself。　It　may　be　said　that　Philosophy　first　commences　when　a　race　for　the　most　part
has　left　its　concrete　life；　when　separation　and　change　of　class　have　begun；　and　the　people
approach　toward　their　fall；　when　a　gulf　has　arisen　between　inward　strivings　and　external　reality；
and　the　old　forms　of　Religion；　&c。；　are　no　longer　satisfying；　when　Mind　manifests　indifference　to　its
living　existence　or　rests　unsatisfied　therein；　and　moral　life　becomes　dissolved。　Then　it　is　that　Mind
takes　refuge　in　the　clear　space　of　thought　to　create　for　itself　a　kingdom　of　thought　in　opposition　to
the　world　of　actuality；　and　Philosophy　is　the　reconciliation　following　upon　the　destruction　of　that
real　world　which　thought　has　begun。　When　Philosophy　with　its　abstractions　paints　grey　in　grey；　the
freshness　and　life　of　youth　has　gone；　the　reconciliation　is　not　a　reconciliation　in　the　actual；　but　in　the
ideal　world。　Thus　the　Greek　philosophers　held　themselves　far　removed　from　the　business　of　the
State　and　were　called　by　the　people　idlers；　because　they　withdrew　themselves　within　the　world　of
thought。

This　holds　good　throughout　all　the　history　of　Philosophy。　It　was　so　with　Ionic　Philosophy　in　the
decline　of　the　Ionic　States　in　Asia　Minor。　Socrates　and　Plato　had　no　more　pleasure　in　the　life　of
the　State　in　Athens；　which　was　in　the　course　of　its　decline；　Plato　tried　to　bring　about　something
better　with　Dionysius。　Thus　in　Athens；　with　the　ruin　of　the　Athenian　people；　the　period　was
reached　when　Philosophy　appeared。　In　Rome；　Philosophy　first　expanded　in　the　decline　of　the
Republic　and　of　Roman　life　proper；　under　the　despotism　of　the　Roman　Emperors：　a　time　of
misfortune　for　the　world　and　of　decay　in　political　life；　when　earlier　religious　systems　tottered　and
everything　was　in　the　process　of　struggle　and　disintegration。　With　the　decline　of　the　Roman
Empire；　which　was　so　great；　rich　and　glorious；　and　yet　inwardly　dead；　the　height　and　indeed　the
zenith　of　ancient　Philosophy　is　associated　through　the　Neo…Platonists　at　Alexandria。　It　was　also　in
the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries；　when　the　Teutonic　life　of　the　Middle　Ages　acquired　another
form；　that　Philosophy　first　became　taught；　though　it　was　later　on　that　it　attained　to　independence。

Before　that；　political　life　still　existed　in　unity　with　Religion；　or　if　the　State　fought　against　the　Church；
the　Church　still　kept　the　foremost　place；　but　now　the　gulf　between　Church　and　State　came　into
existence。　Philosophy　thus　comes　in　at　a　certain　epoch　only　in　the　development　of　the　whole。

c。　Philosophy　as　the　thought　of　its　time。

But　men　do　not　at　certain　epochs；　merely　philosophize　in　general；　for　there　is　a　definite　Philosophy
which　arises　among　a　people；　and　the　definite　character　of　the　standpoint　of　thought　is　the　same
character　which　permeates　all　the　other　historical　sides　of　the　spirit　of　the　people；　which　is　most
intimately　related　to　them；　and　which　constitutes　their　foundation。　The　particular　form　of　a
Philosophy　is　thus　contemporaneous　with　a　particular　constitution　of　the　people　amongst　whom　it
makes　its　appearance；　with　their　institutions　and　forms　of　government；　their　morality；　their　social
life　and　the　capabilities；　customs　and　enjoyments　of　the　same；　it　is　so　with　their　attempts　and
achievements　in　art　and　science；　with　their　religions；　warfares　and　external　relationships；　likewise
with　the　decadence　of　the　States　in　which　this　particular　principle　and　form　had　maintained　its
supremacy；　and　with　the　origination　and　progress　of　new　States　in　which　a　higher　principle　finds　its
manifestation　and　development。　Mind　in　each　case　has　elaborated　and　expanded　in　the　whole
domain　of　its　manifold　nature　the　principle　of　the　particular　stage　of　self…consciousness　to　which　it
has　attained。　Thus　the　Mind　of　a　people　in　its　richness　is　an　organization；　and；　like　a　Cathedral；　is
divided　into　numerous　vaults；　passages；　pillars　and　vestibules；　all　of　which　have　proceeded　out　of
one　whole　and　are　directed　to　one　end。　Philosophy　is　one　form　of　these　many　aspects。　And　which
is　it？　It　is　the　fullest　blossom；　the　Notion　of　Mind　in　its　entire　form；　the　consciousness　and　spiritual
essence　of　all　things；　the　spirit　of　the　time　as　spirit　present　in　itself。　The　multifarious　whole　is
reflected　in　it　as　in　the　single　focus；　in　the　Notion　which　knows　itself。

The　Philosophy　which　is　essential　within　Christianity　could　not　be　found　in　Rome；　for　all　the
various　forms　of　the　whole　are　only　the　expression　of　one　and　the　same　determinate　character。
Hence　political　history；　forms　of　government；　art　and　religion　are　not　related　to　Philosophy　as　its
causes；　nor；　on　the　other　hand；　is　Philosophy　the　ground　of　their　existence　…　one　and　all　have　the
same　common　root；　the　spirit　of　the　time。　It　is　one　determinate　existence；　one　determinate
character　which　permeates　all　sides　and　manifests　itself　in　politics　and　in　all　else　as　in　different
elements；　it　is　a　condition　which　hangs　together　in　all　its　parts；　and　the　various　parts　of　which
contain　nothing　which　is　really　inconsistent；　however　diverse　and　accidental　they　may　appear　to
be；　and　however　much　they　may　seem　to　contradict　one　another。　This　particular　stage　is　the
product　of　the　one　preceding。　But　to　show　how　the　spirit　of　a　particular　time　moulds　its　whole
actuality　and　destiny　in　accordance　with　its　principle；　to　show　this　whole　edifice　in　its　conception；
is　far　from　us　…　for　that　would　be　the　object　of　the　whole　philosophic　world…history。　Those　forms
alone　concern　us　which　express　the　principle　of　the　Mind　in　a　spiritual　element　related　to
Philosophy。

This　is　the　position　of　Philosophy　amongst　its　varying　forms；　from　which　it　follows　that　it　is　entirely
identical　with　its　time。　But　if　Philosophy　does　not　stand　above　its　time　in　content；　it　does　so　in
form；　because；　as　the　thought　and　knowledge　of　that　which　is　the　substantial　spirit　of　its　time；　it
makes　that　spirit　its　object。　In　as　far　as　Philosophy　is　in　the　spirit　of　its　time；　the　latter　is　its
determined　content　in　the　world；　although　as　knowledge；　Philosophy　is　above　it；　since　it　places　it　in
the　relation　of　object。　But　this　is　in　form　alone；　for　Philosophy　really　has　no　other　content。　This
knowledge　itself　undoubtedly　is　the　actuality　of　Mind；　the　self…knowledge　of　Mind　which
previously　was　not　present：　thus　the　formal　difference　is　also　a　real　and　actual　difference。　Through
knowledge；　Mind　makes　manifest　a　distinction　between　knowledge　and　that　which　is；　this
knowledge　is　thus　what　produces　a　new　form　of　development。　The　new　forms　at　first　are　only
special　modes　of　knowledge；　and　it　is　thus　that　a　new　Philosophy　is　produced：　yet　since；　it　already
is　a　wider　kind　of　spirit；　it　is　the　inward　birth…place　of　the　spirit　which　will　later　arrive　at　actual
form。　We　shall　deal　further　with　this　in　the　concrete　below；　and　we　shall　then　see　that　what　the
Greek　Philosophy　was；　entered；　in　the　Christian　world；　into　actuality。




Introduction
　　　　　B。　The　Relation　of　Philosophy　to　Other
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Departments　of　Knowledge

2。　Separation　of　Philosophy　from　other　Allied　Departments　of
Knowledge。

The　history　of　the　other　Sciences；　of　culture　and　above　all　the　history　of　art　and　of　religion　are；
partly　in　regard　to　the　elements　contained　in　them；　and　partly　to　their　particular　objects；　related　to
the　history　of　Philosophy。　It　is　through　this　relationship　that　the　treatment　of　the　history　of
Philosophy　has　been　so　confused。　If　it　is　to　concern　itself　with　the　possession　of　culture　generally
and　then　with　scientific　culture；　and　then　again　with　popular　myths　and　the　dogmas　contained　only
in　them；　and　yet　farther　with　the　religious　reflections　which　are　already　thoughts　of　a　speculative
kind；　and　which　make　their　appearance　in　them；　no　bounds　are　left　to　Philosophy　at　all。　This　is　so；
partly　on　account　of　the　amount　of　material　itself　and　the　labour　required　in　working　it　up　and
preparing　it；　and　partly　because　it　is　in　immediate　connection　with　so　much　else。　But　the　separation
must　not　be　made　arbitrarily　or　as　by　chance；　but　must　be　derived　from　fundamental
determinations。　If　we　merely　look　at　the　name　of　Philosophy；　all　this　matter　will　pert