philosophy of history-第15部分

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substance　…　one　spirit　…　with　its　religion；　its　art　and　philosophy；　or；　at　least；　with　its　conceptions　and
thoughts　…　its　culture　generally；　not　to　expatiate　upon　the　additional　influences；　ab　extra；　of
climate；　of　neighbours；　of　its　place　in　the　world。　A　State　is　an　individual　totality；　of　which　you
cannot　select　any　particular　side；　although　a　supremely　important　one；　such　as　its　political
constitution；　and　deliberate　and　decide　respecting　it　in　that　isolated　form。　Not　only　is　that
constitution　most　intimately　connected　with　and　dependent　on　those　other　spiritual　forces；　but　the
form　of　the　entire　moral　and　intellectual　individuality　…　comprising　all　the　forces　it　embodies　…　is
only　a　step　in　the　development　of　the　grand　Whole；　…　with　its　place　pre…appointed　in　the　process：　a
fact　which　gives　the　highest　sanction　to　the　constitution　in　question；　and　establishes　its　absolute
necessity。　…The　origin　of　a　State　involves　imperious　lordship　on　the　one　hand；　instinctive
submission　on　the　other。　But　even　obedience　…　lordly　power；　and　the　fear　inspired　by　a　ruler　…　in
itself　implies　some　degree　of　voluntary　connection。　Even　in　barbarous　states　this　is　the　case；　it　is
not　the　isolated　will　of　individuals　that　prevails；　individual　pretensions　are　relinquished；　and　the
general　will　is　the　essential　bond　of　political　union。　This　unity　of　the　general　and　the　particular　is　the
Idea　itself；　manifesting　itself　as　a　State；　and　which　subsequently　undergoes　further　development
within　itself。　The　abstract　yet　necessitated　process　in　the　development　of　truly　independent　states　is
as　follows：　…　They　begin　with　regal　power；　whether　of　patriarchal　or　military　origin。　In　the　next
phase；　particularity　and　individuality　assert　themselves　in　the　form　of　Aristocracy　and　Democracy。
Lastly；　we　have　the　subjection　of　these　separate　interests　to　a　single　power；　but　which　can　be
absolutely　none　other　than　one　outside　of　which　those　spheres　have　an　independent　position；　viz。；
the　Monarchical。　Two　phases　of　royalty；　therefore；　must　be　distinguished；　…　a　primary　and　a
secondary　one。　This　process　is　necessitated；　so　that　the　form　of　government　assigned　to　a
particular　stage　of　development　must　present　itself：　it　is　therefore　no　matter　of　choice；　but　is　that
form　which　is　adapted　to　the　spirit　of　the　people。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　48

In　a　Constitution　the　main　feature　of　interest　is　the　self…development　of　the　rational；　that　is；　the
political　condition　of　a　people；　the　setting　free　of　the　successive　elements　of　the　Idea：　so　that　the
several　powers　in　the　State　manifest　themselves　as　separate；　…　attain　their　appropriate　and　special
perfection；　…　and　yet　in　this　independent　condition；　work　together　for　one　object；　and　are　held
together　by　it　…　i。e。；　form　an　organic　whole。　The　State　is　thus　the　embodiment　of　rational　freedom；
realising　and　recognising　itself　in　an　objective　form。　For　its　objectivity　consists　in　this；　…　that　its
successive　stages　are　not　merely　ideal；　but　are　present　in　an　appropriate　reality；　and　that　in　their
separate　and　several　working；　they　are　absolutely　merged　in　that　agency　by　which　the　totality　…　the
soul　…　the　individual　unity　…　is　produced；　and　of　which　it　is　the　result。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　49

The　State　is　the　Idea　of　Spirit　in　the　external　manifestation　of　human　Will　and　its　Freedom。　It　is　to
the　State；　therefore；　that　change　in　the　aspect　of　History　indissolubly　attaches　itself；　and　the
successive　phases　of　the　Idea　manifest　themselves　in　it　as　distinct　political　principles。　The
Constitutions　under　which　World…Historical　peoples　have　reached　their　culmination；　are　peculiar
to　them；　and　therefore　do　not　present　a　generally　applicable　political　basis。　Were　it　otherwise；　the
differences　of　similar　constitutions　would　consist　only　in　a　peculiar　method　of　expanding　and
developing　that　generic　basis；　whereas　they　really　originate　in　diversity　of　principle。　From　the
comparison　therefore　of　the　political　institutions　of　the　ancient　World…Historical　peoples；　it　so
happens；　that　for　the　most　recent　principle　of　a　Constitution　…　for　the　principle　of　our　own　times　…
nothing　（so　to　speak）　can　be　learned。　In　science　and　art　it　is　quite　otherwise；　e。　g。；　the　ancient
philosophy　is　so　decidedly　the　basis　of　the　modern；　that　it　is　inevitably　contained　in　the　latter；　and
constitutes　its　basis。　In　this　case　the　relation　is　that　of　a　continuous　development　of　the　same
structure；　whose　foundation…stone；　walls；　and　roof　have　remained　what　they　were。　In　Art；　the
Greek　itself；　in　its　original　form；　furnishes　us　the　best　models。　But　in　regard　to　political　constitution；
it　is　quite　otherwise：　here　the　Ancient　and　the　Modern　have　not　their　essential　principle　in　common。
Abstract　definitions　and　dogmas　respecting　just　government；　…　importing　that　intelligence　and　virtue
ought　to　bear　sway　…　are；　indeed；　common　to　both。　But　nothing　is　so　absurd　as　to　look　to　Greeks；
Romans；　or　Orientals；　for　models　for　the　political　arrangements　of　our　time。　From　the　East　may　be
derived　beautiful　pictures　of　a　patriarchal　condition；　of　paternal　government；　and　of　devotion　to　it
on　the　part　of　peoples；　from　Greeks　and　Romans；　descriptions　of　popular　liberty。　Among　the　latter
we　find　the　idea　of　a　Free　Constitution　admitting　all　the　citizens　to　a　share　in　deliberations　and
resolves　respecting　the　affairs　and　laws　of　the　Commonwealth。　In　our　times；　too；　this　is　its　general
acceptation；　only　with　this　modification；　that　…　since　our　States　are　so　large；　and　there　are　so　many
of　〃the　Many；〃　the　latter；　…　direct　action　being　impossible；　…　should　by　the　indirect　method　of
elective　substitution　express　their　concurrence　with　resolves　affecting　the　common　weal；　that　is；
that　for　legislative　purposes　generally；　the　people　should　be　represented　by　deputies。　The
so…called　Representative　Constitution　is　that　form　of　government　with　which　we　connect　the　idea
of　a　free　constitution；　and　this　notion　has　become　a　rooted　prejudice。　On　this　theory　People　and
Government　are　separated。　But　there　is　a　perversity　in　this　antithesis；　an　ill…intentioned　ruse
designed　to　insinuate　that　the　People　are　the　totality　of　the　State。　Besides；　the　basis　of　this　view　is
the　principle　of　isolated　individuality　…　the　absolute　validity　of　the　subjective　will　…　a　dogma　which
we　have　already　investigated。　The　great　point　is；　that　Freedom　in　its　Ideal　conception　has　not
subjective　will　and　caprice　for　its　principle；　but　the　recognition　of　the　universal　will；　and　that　the
process　by　which　Freedom　is　realised　is　the　free　development　of　its　successive　stages。　The
subjective　will　is　a　merely　formal　determination　…　a　carte　blanche　…　not　including　what　it　is　that　is
willed。　Only　the　rational　will　is　that　universal　principle　which　independently　determines　and
unfolds　its　own　being；　and　develops　its　successive　elemental　phases　as　organic　members。　Of　this
Gothic…cathedral　architecture　the　ancients　knew　nothing。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　50

At　an　earlier　stage　of　the　discussion；　we　established　the　two　elemental　considerations：　first；　the
idea　of　freedom　as　the　absolute　and　final　aim；　secondly；　the　means　for　realising　it；　i。e。　the
subjective　side　of　knowledge　and　will；　with　its　life；　movement；　and　activity。　We　then　recognised
the　State　as　the　moral　Whole　and　the　Reality　of　Freedom；　and　consequently　as　the　objective　unity
of　these　two　elements。　For　although　we　make　this　distinction　into　two　aspects　for　our
consideration；　it　must　be　remarked　that　they　are　intimately　connected；　and　that　their　connection　is
involved　in　the　idea　of　each　when　examined　separately。　We　have；　on　the　one　hand；　recognised　the
Idea　in　the　definite　form　of　Freedom　conscious　of　and　willing　itself；　…　having　itself　alone　as　its
object：　involving　at　the　same　time；　the　pure　and　simple　Idea　of　Reason；　and　likewise；　that　which
we　have　called　subject　…　self…consciousness　…　Spirit　actually　existing　in　the　World。　If；　on　the　other
hand；　we　consider　Subjectivity；　we　find　that　subjective　knowledge　and　will　is　Thought。　But　by　the
very　act　of　thoughtful　cognition　and　volition；　I　will　the　universal　object　…　the　substance　of　absolute
Reason。　We　observe；　therefore；　an　essential　union　between　the　objective　side　…　the　Idea；　…　and　the
subjective　side　…　the　personality　that　conceives　and　wills　it。　…　The　objective　existence　of　this　union
is　the　State；　which　is　therefore　the　basis　and　centre　of　the　other　concrete　elements　of　the　life　of　a
people；　…　of　Art；　of　Law；　of　Morals；　of　Religion；　of　Science。　All　the　activity　of　Spirit　has　only　this
object　…　the　becoming　conscious　of　this　union；　i。e。；　of　its　own　Freedom。　Among　the　forms　of　this
conscious　union　Religion　occupies　the　highest　position。　In　it；　Spirit　…　rising　above　the　limitations　of
temporal　and　secular　existence　…　becomes　conscious　of　the　Absolute　Spirit；　and　in　this
consciousness　of　the　self…existent　Being；　renounces　its　individual　interest；　it　lays　this　aside　in
Devotion　…　a　state　of　mind　in　which　it　refuses　to　occupy　itself　any　longer　with　the　limited　and
particular。　By　Sacrifice　man　expresses　his　renunciation　of　his　property；　his　will；　his　individual
feelings。　The　religious　concentration　of