history of philosophy-第6章

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respect　two　thousand　years　ago　as　now。　But　the　world…spirit　does　not　sink　into　this　rest　of
indifference；　this　follows　from　its　very　nature；　for　its　activity；　is　its　life。　This　activity　presupposes　a
material　already　present；　on　which　it　acts；　and　which　it　does　not　merely　augment　by　the　addition　of
new　matter；　but　completely　fashions　and　transforms。　Thus　that　which　each　generation　has
produced　in　science　and　in　intellectual　activity；　is　an　heirloom　to　which　all　the　past　generations　have
added　their　savings；　a　temple　in　which　all　races　of　men　thankfully　and　cheerfully　deposit　that　which
rendered　aid　to　them　through　life；　and　which　they　had　won　from　the　depths　of　Nature　and　of
Mind。　To　receive　this　inheritance　is　also　to　enter　upon　its　use。　It　constitutes　the　soul　of　each
successive　generation；　the　intellectual　substance　of　the　time；　its　principles；　prejudices；　and
possessions；　and　this　legacy　is　degraded　to　a　material　which　becomes　metamorphosed　by　Mind。
In　this　manner　that　which　is　received　is　changed；　and　the　material　worked　upon　is　both　enriched
and　preserved　at　the　same　time。

This　is　the　function　of　our　own　and　of　every　age：　to　grasp　the　knowledge　which　is　already　existing；
to　make　it　our　own；　and　in　so　doing　to　develop　it　still　further　and　to　raise　it　to　a　higher　level。　In　thus
appropriating　it　to　ourselves　we　make　it　into　something　different　from　what　it　was　before。　On　the
presupposition　of　an　already　existing　intellectual　world　which　is　transformed　in　our　appropriation　of
it；　depends　the　fact　that　Philosophy　can　only　arise　in　connection　with　previous　Philosophy；　from
which　of　necessity　it　has　arisen。　The　course　of　history　does　not　show　us　the　Becoming　of　things
foreign　to　us；　but　the　Becoming　of　ourselves　and　of　our　own　knowledge。

The　ideas　and　questions　which　may　be　present　to　our　mind　regarding　the　character　and　ends　of　the
history　of　Philosophy；　depend　on　the　nature　of　the　relationship　here　given。　In　this　lies　the
explanation　of　the　fact　that　the　study　of　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　an　introduction　to　Philosophy
itself。　The　guiding　principles　for　the　formation　of　this　history　are　given　in　this　fact；　the　further
discussion　of　which　must　thus　be　the　main　object　of　this　introduction。　We　must　also；　however；
keep　in　mind；　as　being　of　fundamental　importance；　the　conception　of　the　aim　of　Philosophy。　And
since；　as　already　mentioned；　the　systematic　exposition　of　this　conception　cannot　here　find　a　place；
such　discussion　as　we　can　now　undertake；　can　only　propose　to　deal　with　the　subject　provisionally
and　not　to　give　a　thorough　and　conclusive　account　of　the　nature　of　the　Becoming　of　Philosophy。

This　Becoming　is　not　merely　a　passive　movement；　as　we　suppose　movements　such　as　those　of　the
sun　and　moon　to　be。　It　is　no　mere　movement　in　the　unresisting　medium　of　space　and　time。　What
we　must　represent　to　ourselves　is　the　activity　of　free　thought；　we　have　to　present　the　history　of　the
world　of　thought　as　it　has　arisen　and　produced　itself。

There　is　an　old　tradition　that　it　is　the　faculty　of　thought　which　separates　men　from　beasts；　and　to
this　tradition　we　shall　adhere。　In　accordance　with　this；　what　man　has；　as　being　nobler　than　a　beast；
he　has　through　thinking。　Everything　which　is　human；　however　it　may　appear；　is　so　only　because　the
thought　contained　in　it　works　and　has　worked。　But　thought；　although　it　is　thus　the　essential；
substantial；　and　effectual；　has　many　other　elements。　We　must；　however；　consider　it　best　when
Thought　does　not　pursue　anything　else；　but　is　occupied　only　with　itself　…　with　what　is　noblest　…
when　it　has　sought　and　found　itself。　The　history　which　we　have　before　us　is　the　history　of　Thought
finding　itself；　and　it　is　the　case　with　Thought　that　it　only　finds　itself　in　producing　itself；　indeed；　that　it
only　exists　and　is　actual　in　finding　itself。　These　productions　are　the　philosophic　systems；　and　the
series　of　discoveries　on　which　Thought　sets　out　in　order　to　discover　itself；　forms　a　work　which　has
lasted　twenty…five　hundred　years。

If　the　Thought　which　is　essentially　Thought；　is　in　and　for　itself　and　eternal；　and　that　which　is　true　is
contained　in　Thought　alone；　how；　then；　does　this　intellectual　world　come　to　have　a　history？　In
history　what　appears　is　transient；　has　disappeared　in　the　night　of　the　past　and　is　no　more。　But　true；
necessary　thought　…　and　it　is　only　with　such　that　we　have　to　do　…　is　capable　of　no　change。　The
question　here　raised　constitutes　one　of　those　matters　first　to　be　brought　under　our　consideration。
But　in　the　second　place；　there　are　also　many　most　important　things　outside　of　Philosophy；　which
are　yet　the　work　of　Thought；　and　which　are　left　unconsidered。　Such　are　Religion；　Political　History；
forms　of　Government；　and　the　Arts　and　Sciences。　The　question　arises　as　to　how　these　operations
differ　from　the　subject　of　consideration；　and　how　they　are　related　in　history？　As　regards　these　two
points　of　view；　it　is　desirable　to　show　in　what　sense　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　here　taken；　in
order　to　see　clearly　what　we　are　about。　Moreover；　in　the　third　place；　we　must　first　take　a　general
survey　before　we　descend　to　particulars；　else　the　whole　is　not　seen　for　the　mere　details…the　wood
is　not　seen　for　the　trees；　nor　Philosophy　for　mere　philosophies。　We　require　to　have　a　general　idea
of　the　nature　and　aim　of　the　whole　in　order　to　know　what　to　look　for。　Just　as　we　first　desire　to
obtain　a　general　idea　of　a　country；　which　we　should　no　longer　see　in　going　into　detail；　so　we　desire
to　see　the　relation　which　single　philosophies　bear　to　the　whole；　for　in　reality；　the　high　value　of　the
detail　lies　in　its　relation　to　the　whole。　This　is　nowhere　more　the　case　than　with　Philosophy；　and　also
with　its　history。　In　the　case　of　a　history；　indeed；　the　establishment　of　the　Universal　seems　to　be　less
needful　than　in　that　of　one　of　the　sciences　proper。　For　history　seems　at　first　to　be　a　succession　of
chance　events；　in　which　each　fact　stands　isolated　by　itself；　which　has　Time　alone　as　a
connecting…link。　But　even　in　political　history　we　are　not　satisfied　with　this。　We　see；　or　at　least
divine　in　it；　that　essential　connection　in　which　the　individual　events　have　their　place　and　relation　to
an　end　or　aim；　and　in　this　way　obtain　significance。　For　the　significant　in　history　is　such　only　through
its　relation　to　and　connection　with　a　Universal。　To　perceive　this　Universal　is　thus　to　apprehend　the
significance。

There　are；　therefore；　the　following　points　with　which　I　wish　to　deal　in　this　introduction。

The　first　of　these　will　be　to　investigate　the　character　of　the　history　of　Philosophy；　its　significance；　its
nature；　and　its　aim；　from　which　will　follow　inferences　as　to　its　treatment。　In　particular；　we　shall　get
an　insight　into　the　relation　of　the　history　of　Philosophy　to　the　science　of　Philosophy；　and　this　will　be
the　most　interesting　point　of　all。　That　is　to　say；　this　history　represents；　not　merely　the　external；
accidental；　events　contained　within　it；　but　it　shows　how　the　content；　or　that　which　appears　to
belong　to　mere　history；　really　belongs　to　the　science　of　Philosophy。　The　history　of　Philosophy　is
itself　scientific；　and　thus　essentially　becomes　the　science　of　Philosophy。

In　the　second　place；　the　Notion　of　Philosophy　must　be　more　adequately　determined；　and　from　it
must　be　deduced　what　should　be　excluded　from　the　history　of　Philosophy　out　of　the　infinite
material　and　the　manifold　aspects　of　the　intellectual　culture　of　the　nations。　Religion；　certainly；　and
the　thoughts　contained　in　and　regarding　it；　particularly　when　these　are　in　the　form　of　mythology；
are；　on　account　of　their　matter；　and　the　sciences　with　their　ideas　on　the　state；　duties　and　laws；　on
account　of　their　form；　so　near　Philosophy　that　the　history　of　the　science　of　Philosophy　threatens　to
become　quite　indefinite　in　extent。　It　might　be　supposed　that　the　history　of　Philosophy　should　take
account　of　all　these　ideas。　Has　not　everything　been　called　Philosophy　and　philosophising？　On　the
one　hand；　the　close　connection　has　to　be　further　considered　in　which　Philosophy　stands　with　its
allied　subjects；　religion；　art；　the　other　sciences；　and　likewise　with　political　history。　On　the　other
hand；　when　the　provinc