history of philosophy-第132部分

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The　present　standpoint　of　philosophy　is　that　the　Idea　is　known　in　its　necessity；　the　sides　of　its
diremption；　Nature　and　Spirit；　are　each　of　them　recognized　as　representing　the　totality　of　the　Idea；
and　not　only　as　being　in　themselves　identical；　but　as　producing　this　one　identity　from　themselves；
and　in　this　way　the　identity　is　recognized　as　necessary。　Nature；　and　the　world　or　history　of　spirit；
are　the　two　realities；　what　exists　as　actual　Nature　is　an　image　of　divine　Reason；　the　forms　of
self…conscious　Reason　are　also　the　forms　of　Nature。　The　ultimate　aim　and　business　of　philosophy
is　to　reconcile　thought　or　the　Notion　with　reality。　It　is　easy　from　subordinate　standpoints　to　find
satisfaction　in　modes　of　intuitive　perception　and　of　feeling。　But　the　deeper　the　spirit　goes　within
itself；　the　more　vehement　is　the　opposition；　the　more　abundant　is　the　wealth　without；　the　depth　is　to
be　measured　by　the　greatness　of　the　craving　with　which　spirit　seeks　to　find　itself　in　what　lies
outside　of　itself。　We　saw　the　thought　which　apprehends　itself　appearing；　it　strove　to　make　itself
concrete　within　itself。　Its　first　activity　is　formal；　Aristotle　was　the　first　to　say　that　is　the　thought　of
thought。　The　result　is　the　thought　which　is　at　home　with　itself；　and　at　the　same　time　embraces　the
universe　therein；　and　transforms　it　into　an　intelligent　world。　In　apprehension　the　spiritual　and　the
natural　universe　are　interpenetrated　as　one　harmonious　universe；　which　withdraws　into　itself；　and　in
its　various　aspects　develops　the　Absolute　into　a　totality；　in　order；　by　the　very　process　of　so　doing；
to　become　conscious　of　itself　in　its　unity；　in　Thought。　Philosophy　is　thus　the　true　theodicy；　as
contrasted　with　art　and　religion　and　the　feelings　which　these　call　up　…　a　reconciliation　of　spirit；
namely　of　the　spirit　which　has　apprehended　itself　in　its　freedom　and　in　the　riches　of　its　reality。

To　this　point　the　World…spirit　has　come；　and　each　stage　has　its　own　form　in　the　true　system　of
Philosophy；　nothing　is　lost；　all　principles　are　preserved；　since　Philosophy　in　its　final　aspect　is　the
totality　of　forms。　This　concrete　idea　is　the　result　of　the　strivings　of　spirit　during　almost　twenty…five
centuries　of　earnest　work　to　become　objective　to　itself；　to　know　itself：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tant？　molis　erat；　se　ipsam　cognoscere　mentem。

All　this　time　was　required　to　produce　the　philosophy　of　our　day；　so　tardily　and　slowly　did　the
World…spirit　work　to　reach　this　goal。　What　we　pass　in　rapid　review　when　we　recall　it；　stretched
itself　out　in　reality　to　this　great　length　of　time。　For　in　this　lengthened　period；　the　Notion　of　Spirit；
invested　with　its　entire　concrete　development；　its　external　subsistence；　its　wealth；　is　striving　to　bring
spirit　to　perfection；　to　make　progress　itself　and　to　develop　from　spirit。　It　goes　ever　on　and　on；
because　spirit　is　progress　alone。　Spirit　often　seems　to　have　forgotten　and　lost　itself；　but　inwardly
opposed　to　itself；　it　is　inwardly　working　ever　forward　（as　when　Hamlet　says　of　the　ghost　of　his
father；　“Well　said；　old　mole！　canst　work　i'　the　ground　so　fast？”（1））　until　grown　strong　in　itself　it
bursts　asunder　the　crust　of　earth　which　divided　it　from　the　sun；　its　Notion；　so　that　the　earth
crumbles　away。　At　such　a　time；　when　the　encircling　crust；　like　a　soulless　decaying　tenement；
crumbles　away；　and　spirit　displays　itself　arrayed　in　new　youth；　the　seven　league　boots　are　at　length
adopted。　This　work　of　the　spirit　to　know　itself；　this　activity　to　find　itself；　is　the　life　of　the　spirit　and
the　spirit　itself。　Its　result　is　the　Notion　which　it　takes　up　of　itself；　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　a
revelation　of　what　has　been　the　aim　of　spirit　throughout　its　history；　it　is　therefore　the　world's　history
in　its　innermost　signification。　This　work　of　the　human　spirit　in　the　recesses　of　thought　is　parallel　with
all　the　stages　of　reality；　and　therefore　no　philosophy　oversteps　its　own　time。　The　importance　which
the　determinations　of　thought　possessed　is　another　matter；　which　does　not　belong　to　the　history　of
Philosophy。　These　Notions　are　the　simplest　revelation　of　the　World　spirit：　in　their　more　concrete
form　they　are　history。

We　must；　therefore；　in　the　first　place　not　esteem　lightly　what　spirit　has　won；　namely　its　gains　up　to
the　present　day。　Ancient　Philosophy　is　to　be　reverenced　as　necessary；　and　as　a　link　in　this　sacred
chain；　but　all　the　same　nothing　more　than　a　link。　The　present　is　the　highest　stage　reached。　In　the
second　place；　all　the　various　philosophies　are　no　mere　fashionable　theories　of　the　time；　or　anything
of　a　similar　nature；　they　are　neither　chance　products　nor　the　blaze　of　a　fire　of　straw；　nor　casual
eruptions　here　and　there；　but　a　spiritual；　reasonable；　forward　advance；　they　are　of　necessity　one
Philosophy　in　its　development；　the　revelation　of　God；　as　He　knows　Himself　to　be。　Where　several
philosophies　appear　at　the　same　time；　they　are　different　sides　which　make　up　one　totality　forming
their　basis；　and　on　account　of　their　one…sidedness　we　see　the　refutation　of　the　one　by　the　other。　In
the　third　place　we　do　not　find　here　feeble　little　efforts　to　establish　or　to　criticize　this　or　that
particular　point；　instead　of　that；　each　philosophy　sets　up　a　new　principle　of　its　own；　and　this　must
be　recognized。

If　we　glance　at　the　main　epochs　in　the　whole　history　of　Philosophy；　and　grasp　the　necessary
succession　of　stages　in　the　leading　moments；　each　of　which　expresses　a　determinate　Idea；　we　find
that　after　the　Oriental　whirl　of　subjectivity；　which　attains　to　no　intelligibility　and　therefore　to　no
subsistence；　the　light　of　thought　dawned　among　the　Greeks。

1。　The　philosophy　of　the　ancients　had　the　absolute　Idea　as　its　thought；　and　the　realization　or　reality
of　the　same　consisted　in　comprehending　the　existing　present　world；　and　regarding　it　as　it　is　in　its
absolute　nature。　This　philosophy　did　not　make　its　starting…point　the　Idea　itself；　but　proceeded　from
the　objective　as　from　something　given；　and　transformed　the　same　into　the　Idea；　the　Being　of
Parmenides。

2。　Abstract　thought；　became　known　to　itself　as　universal　essence　or　existence；　not　as　subjective
thought；　the　Universal　of　Plato。

3。　In　Aristotle　the　Notion　emerges；　free　and　unconstrained；　as　comprehending　thought；　permeating
and　spiritualizing　all　the　forms　which　the　universe　contains。

4。　The　Notion　as　subject；　its　independence；　its　inwardness；　abstract　separation；　is　represented　by
the　Stoics；　Epicureans　and　Sceptics：　here　we　have　not　the　free；　concrete　form；　but　universality
abstract　and　in　itself　formal。

5。　The　thought　of　totality；　the　intelligible　world；　is　the　concrete　Idea　as　we　have　seen　it　with　the
Neo…Platonists。　This　principle　is　ideality　generally　speaking；　which　is　present　in　all　reality；　but　not
the　Idea　which　knows　itself：　this　is　not　reached　until　the　principle　of　subjectivity；　individuality；　found
a　place　in　it；　and　God　as　spirit　became　actual　to　Himself　in　self…consciousness。

6。　But　it　has　been　the　work　of　modern　times　to　grasp　this　Idea　as　spirit；　as　the　Idea　that　knows
itself。　In　order　to　proceed　from　the　conscious　Idea　to　the　self…conscious；　we　must　have　the　infinite
opposition；　namely　the　fact