philosophy of history-第20部分

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becoming　self…conscious　—　of　Freedom；　mirroring　itself　in　a　phenomenal　form；　and　creating　for
itself　a　proper　reality。　Not　partaking　of　this　element　of　substantial；　veritable　existence；　those
nations　—　notwithstanding　the　development　of　language　among　them　—　never　advanced　to　the
possession　of　a　history。　The　rapid　growth　of　language；　and　the　progress　and　dispersion　of
Nations；　assume　importance　and　interest　for　concrete　Reason；　only　when　they　have　come　in
contact　with　States；　or　begin　to　form　political　constitutions　themselves。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　71

After　these　remarks；　relating　to　the　form　of　the　commencement　of　the　World's　History；　and　to
that　ante…historical　period　which　must　be　excluded　from　it；　we　have　to　state　the　direction　of　its
course：　though　here　only　formally。　The　further　definition　of　the　subject　in　the　concrete；　comes
under　the　head　of　arrangement。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　72

Universal　history　—　as　already　demonstrated　—　shows　the　development　of　the　consciousness　of
Freedom　on　the　part　of　Spirit；　and　of　the　consequent　realisation　of　that　Freedom。　This
development　implies　a　gradation　—　a　series　of　increasingly　adequate　expressions　or　manifestations
of　Freedom；　which　result　from　its　Idea。　The　logical；　and　—　as　still　more　prominent　—　the
dialectical　nature　of　the　Idea　in　general；　viz。　that　it　is　self…determined　—　that　it　assumes　successive
forms　which　it　successively　transcends；　and　by　this　very　process　of　transcending　its　earlier　stages；
gains　an　affirmative；　and；　in　fact；　a　richer　and　more　concrete　shape；　—　this　necessity　of　its　nature；
and　the　necessary　series　of　pure　abstract　forms　which　the　Idea　successively　assumes　—　is
exhibited　in　the　department　of　Logic。　Here　we　need　adopt　only　one　of　its　results；　viz。　that　every
step　in　the　process；　as　differing　from　any　other；　has　its　determinate　peculiar　principle。　In　history　this
principle　is　idiosyncrasy　of　Spirit　—　peculiar　National　Genius。　It　is　within　the　limitations　of　this
idiosyncrasy　that　the　spirit　of　the　nation；　concretely　manifested；　expresses　every　aspect　of　its
consciousness　and　will　—　the　whole　cycle　of　its　realisation。　Its　religion；　its　polity；　its　ethics；　its
legislation；　and　even　its　science；　art；　and　mechanical　skill；　all　bear　its　stamp。　These　special
peculiarities　find　their　key　in　that　common　peculiarity；　—　the　particular　principle　that　characterises　a
people；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　in　the　facts　which　History　presents　in　detail；　that　common
characteristic　principle　may　be　detected。　That　such　or　such　a　specific　quality　constitutes　the
peculiar　genius　of　a　people；　is　the　element　of　our　inquiry　which　must　be　derived　from　experience；
and　historically　proved。　To　accomplish　this；　presupposes　not　only　a　disciplined　faculty　of
abstraction；　but　an　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　Idea。　The　investigator　must　be　familiar　à　priori
（if　we　like　to　call　it　so）；　with　the　whole　circle　of　conceptions　to　which　the　principles　in　question
belong　—　just　as　Kepler　（to　name　the　most　illustrious　example　in　this　mode　of　philosophising）　must
have　been　familiar　à　priori　with　ellipses；　with　cubes　and　squares；　and　with　ideas　of　their　relations
before　be　could　discover；　from　the　empirical　data；　those　immortal　“Laws”　of　his；　which　are　none
other　than　forms　of　thought　pertaining　to　those　classes　of　conceptions。　He　who　is　unfamiliar　with
the　science　that　embraces　these　abstract　elementary　conceptions；　is　as　little　capable　—　though　he
may　have　gazed　on　the　firmament　and　the　motions　of　the　celestial　bodies　for　a　life…time　—　of
understanding　those　Laws；　as　of　discovering　them。　From　this　want　of　acquaintance　with　the
ideas　that　relate　to　the　development　of　Freedom；　proceed　a　part　of　those　objections　which　are
brought　against　the　philosophical　consideration　of　a　science　usually　regarded　as　one　of　mere
experience；　the　so…called　à　priori　method；　and　the　attempt　to　insinuate　ideas　into　the　empirical
data　of　history；　being　the　chief　points　in　the　indictment。　Where　this　deficiency　exists；　such
conceptions　appear　alien　—　not　lying　within　the　object　of　investigation。　To　minds　whose　training
has　been　narrow　and　merely　subjective；　—　which　have　not　an　acquaintance　and　familiarity　with
ideas；　—　they　are　something　strange　—　not　embraced　in　the　notion　and　conception　of　the　subject
which　their　limited　intellect　forms。　Hence　the　statement　that　Philosophy　does　not　understand　such
sciences。　It　must；　indeed；　allow　that　it　has　not　that　kind　of　Understanding　which　is　the　prevailing
one　in　the　domain　of　those　sciences　that　it　does　not　proceed　according　to　the　categories　of　such
Understanding；　but　according　to　the　categories　of　Reason　…　though　at　the　same　time　recognising
that　Understanding；　and　its　true　value　and　position。　It　must　be　observed　that　in　this　very　process　of
scientific　Understanding；　it　is　of　importance　that　the　essential　should　be　distinguished　and　brought
into　relief　in　contrast　with　the　so…called　non…essential。　But　in　order　to　render　this　possible；　we　must
know　what　is　essential；　and　that　is　—　in　view　of　the　History　of　the　World　in　general　—　the
Consciousness　of　Freedom；　and　the　phases　which　this　consciousness　assumes　in　developing　itself。
The　bearing　of　historical　facts　on　this　category；　is　their　bearing　on　the　truly　Essential。　Of　the
difficulties　stated；　and　the　opposition　exhibited　to　comprehensive　conceptions　in　science；　part　must
be　referred　to　the　inability　to　grasp　and　understand　Ideas。　If　in　Natural　History　some　monstrous
hybrid　growth　is　alleged　as　an　objection　to　the　recognition　of　clear　and　indubitable　classes　or
species；　a　sufficient　reply　is　furnished　by　a　sentiment　often　vaguely　urged；　—　that　“the　exception
confirms　the　rule；”　i。e。；　that　it　is　the　part　of　a　well…defined　rule；　to　hew　the　conditions　in　which　it
applies；　or　the　deficiency　or　hybridism　of　cases　that　are　abnormal。　Mere　Nature　is　too　weak　to
keep　its　genera　and　species　pure；　when　conflicting　with　alien　elementary　influences。　If；　e。g。；　on
considering　the　human　organisation　in　its　concrete　aspect；　we　assert　that　brain；　heart；　and　so　forth
are　essential　to　its　organic　life；　some　miserable　abortion　may　be　adduced；　which　has　on　the　whole
the　human　form；　or　parts　of　it；　—　which　has　been　conceived　in　a　human　body　and　has　breathed
after　birth　therefrom；　—　in　which　nevertheless　no　brain　and　no　heart　is　found。　If　such　an　instance　is
quoted　against　the　general　conception　of　a　human　being　—　the　objector　persisting　in　using　the
name；　coupled　with　a　superficial　idea　respecting　it　—　it　can　be　proved　that　a　real；　concrete　human
being；　is　a　truly　different　object；　that　such　a　being　must　have　a　brain　in　its　bead；　and　a　heart　in　its
breast。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　73

A　similar　process　of　reasoning　is　adopted；　in　reference　to　the　correct　assertion　that　genius；　talent；
moral　virtues；　and　sentiments；　and　piety；　may　be　found　in　every　zone；　under　all　political
constitutions　and　conditions；　in　confirmation　of　which　examples　are　forthcoming　in　abundance。　If　in
this　assertion；　the　accompanying　distinctions　are　intended　to　be　repudiated　as　unimportant　or
non…essential；　reflection　evidently　limits　itself　to　abstract　categories；　and　ignores　the　specialities　of
the　object　in　question；　which　certainly　fall　under　no　principle　recognised　by　such　categories。　That
intellectual　position　which　adopts　such　merely　formal　points　of　view；　presents　a　vast　field　for
ingenious　questions；　erudite　views；　and　striking　comparisons；　for　profound　seeming　reflections　and
declamations；　which　may　be　rendered　so　much　the　more　brilliant　in　proportion　as　the　subject　they
refer　to　is　indefinite；　and　are　susceptible　of　new　and　varied　forms　in　inverse　proportion　to　the
importance　of　the　results　that　can　be　gained　from　them；　and　the　certainly　and　rationality　of　their
issues。　Under　such　an　aspect　the　well　known　Indian　Epopees　may　be　compared　with　the　Homeric；
perhaps　—　since　it　is　the　vastness　of　the　imagination　by　which　poetical　genius　proves　itself　—
preferred　to　them；　as；　on　account　of　the　similarity　of　single　strokes　of　imagination　in　the　attributes
of　the　divinities；　it　has　been　contended　that　Greek　mythological　forms　may　be　recognised　in　those
of　India。　Similarly　the　Chinese　philosophy；　as　adopting　the　One　as　its　basis；　has　been　alleged　to　be
the　same　as　at　a　later　period　appeared　as　Eleatic　philosophy　and　as　the　Spinozistic　System；　while
in　virtue　of　its　expressing　itself　also　in　abstract　numbers　and　lines；　Pythagorean　and　Christian
principles　have　been　supposed　to　be　detected　in　it。　Instances　of　bravery　and　indomitable　courage；
—　traits　of　magnanimity；　of　self…denial；　and　self…sacrifice；　which　are　found　among　the　most　savage
and　the　most　pusillanimous　nations；　—　are　regarded　as　sufficient　to　support　the　view　that　in　these
nations　as　much　of　social　virtue　and　morality　may　be　found　as　in　the　most　civilised　Christian　states；
or　even　more。　And　on　this　ground　a　doubt　has　been　suggested　whether　in　the　progress　of　history
and　of　general　culture　mankind　have　become　better；　whether　their　morality　has　been　increased；　—
morality　being　regarded　in　a　subjective　aspect　and　view；　as　founded　on　what　the　agen