哲学史-philosophy of history(英文版)-第20章

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development　seems　to　have　been　intermitted；　in　which　we　might　rather　say；　the　whole　enormous
gain　of　previous　culture　appears　to　have　been　entirely　lost；　after　which；　unhappily；　a　new
mencement　has　been　necessary；　made　in　the　hope　of　recovering　—　by　the　assistance　of　some
remains　saved　from　the　wreck　of　a　former　civilisation　and　by　dint　of　a　renewed　incalculable
expenditure　of　strength　and　time；　—　one　of　the　regions　which　had　been　an　ancient　possession　of
that　civilisation。　We　behold　also　continued　processes　of　growth；　structures　and　systems　of　culture
in　particular　spheres；　rich　in　kind；　and　well　developed　in　every　direction。　The　merely　formal　and
indeterminate　view　of　development　in　general　can　neither　assign　to　one　form　of　expansion
superiority　over　the　other；　nor　render　prehensible　the　object　of　that　decay　of　older　periods　of
growth；　but　must　regard　such　occurrences；　—　or；　to　speak　more　particularly；　the　retrocessions
they　exhibit；　—　as　external　contingencies；　and　can　only　judge　of　particular　modes　of　development
from　indeterminate　points　of　view；　which　—　since　the　development　as　such；　is　all　in　all　—　are
relative　and　not　absolute　goals　of　attainment。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　63

Universal　History　exhibits　the　gradation　in　the　development　of　that　principle　whose　substantial
purport　is　the　consciousness　of　Freedom。　The　analysis　of　the　successive　grades；　in　their　abstract
form；　belongs　to　Logic；　in　their　concrete　aspect　to　the　Philosophy　of　Spirit。　Here　it　is　sufficient　to
state　that　the　first　step　in　the　process　presents　that　immersion　of　Spirit　in　Nature　which　has　been
already　referred　to；　the　second　shows　it　as　advancing　to　the　consciousness　of　its　freedom。　But　this
initial　separation　from　Nature　is　imperfect　and　partial；　since　it　is　derived　immediately　from　the
merely　natural　state；　is　consequently　related　to　it；　and　is　still　encumbered　with　it　as　an　essentially
connected　element。　The　third　step　is　the　elevation　of　the　soul　from　this　still　limited　and　special　form
of　freedom　to　its　pure　universal　form；　that　state　in　which　the　spiritual　essence　attains　the
consciousness　and　feeling　of　itself。　These　grades　are　the　ground…principles　of　the　general　process；
but　how　each　of　them　on　the　other　hand　involves　within　itself　a　process　of　formation；　—
constituting　the　links　in　a　dialectic　of　transition；　—　to　particularise　this　may　be　reserved　for　the
sequel。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　64

Here　we　have　only　to　indicate　that　Spirit　begins　with　a　germ　of　infinite　possibility；　but　only
possibility；　—　containing　its　substantial　existence　in　an　undeveloped　form；　as　the　object　and　goal
which　it　reaches　only　in　its　resultant　—　full　reality。　In　actual　existence　Progress　appears　as　an
advancing　from　the　imperfect　to　the　more　perfect；　but　the　former　must　not　be　understood
abstractly　as　only　the　imperfect；　but　as　something　which　involves　the　very　opposite　of　itself　—　the
so…called　perfect　—　as　a　germ　or　impulse。　So　—　reflectively；　at　least　…　possibility　points　to
something　destined　to　bee　actual；　the　Aristotelian　is　also　potentia；　power　and　might。　Thus　the
Imperfect；　as　involving　its　opposite；　is　a　contradiction；　which　certainly　exists；　but　which　is
continually　annulled　and　solved；　the　instinctive　movement　—　the　inherent　impulse　in　the　life　of　the
soul　—　to　break　through　the　rind　of　mere　nature；　sensuousness；　and　that　which　is　alien　to　it；　and　to
attain　to　the　light　of　consciousness；　i。e。　to　itself。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　65

We　have　already　made　the　remark　how　the　mencement　of　the　history　of　Spirit　must　be
conceived　so　as　to　be　in　harmony　with　its　Idea　—　in　its　bearing　on　the　representations　that　have
been　made　of　a　primitive　“natural　condition；”　in　which　freedom　and　justice　are　supposed　to
exist；　or　to　have　existed。　This　was；　however；　nothing　more　than　an　assumption　of　historical
existence；　conceived　in　the　twilight　of　theorising　reflection。　A　pretension　of　quite　another　order；　—
not　a　mere　inference　of　reasoning；　but　making　the　claim　of　historical　fact；　and　that　supernaturally
confirmed；　—　is　put　forth　in　connection　with　a　different　view　that　is　now　widely　promulgated　by　a
certain　class　of　speculatists。　This　view　takes　up　the　idea　of　the　primitive　paradisaical　condition　of
man；　which　had　been　previously　expanded　by　the　Theologians；　after　their　fashion；　—　involving；
e。g。；　the　supposition　that　God　spoke　with　Adam　in　Hebrew；　—　but　remodelled　to　suit　other
requirements。　The　high　authority　appealed　to　in　the　first　instance　is　the　biblical　narrative。　But　this
depicts　the　primitive　condition；　partly　only　in　the　few　well…known　traits；　but　partly　either　as　in　man
generically；　—　human　nature　at　large；　—　or；　so　far　as　Adam　is　to　be　taken　as　an　individual；　and
consequently　one　person；　—　as　existing　and　pleted　in　this　one；　or　only　in　one　human　pair。
The　biblical　account　by　no　means　justifies　us　in　imagining　a　people；　and　an　historical　condition　of
such　people；　existing　in　that　primitive　form；　still　less　does　it　warrant　us　in　attributing　to　them　the
possession　of　a　perfectly　developed　knowledge　of　God　and　Nature。　“Nature；”　so　the　fiction　runs；
“like　a　clear　mirror　of　God's　creation；　had　originally　lain　revealed　and　transparent　to　the
unclouded　eye　of　man。”　＇Fr。　von　Schlegel；　Philosophy　of　History　p。　91；　Bohn's　Standard
Library。＇　

Divine　Truth　is　imagined　to　have　been　equally　manifest。　It　is　even　hinted；　though　left　in　some
degree　of　obscurity；　that　in　this　primary　condition　men　were　in　possession　of　an　indefinitely
extended　and　already　expanded　body　of　religious　truths　immediately　revealed　by　God。　This　theory
affirms　that　all　religions　had　their　historical　mencement　in　this　primitive　knowledge；　and　that
they　polluted　and　obscured　the　original　Truth　by　the　monstrous　creations　of　error　and　depravity；
though　in　all　the　mythologies　invented　by　Error；　traces　of　that　origin　and　of　those　primitive　true
dogmas　are　supposed　to　be　present　and　cognisable。　An　important　interest；　therefore　accrues　to
the　investigation　of　the　history　of　ancient　peoples；　that；　viz。；　of　the　endeavour　to　trace　their　annals
up　to　the　point　where　such　fragments　of　the　primary　revelation　are　to　be　met　with　in　greater　purity
than　lower　down。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　66

We　have　to　thank　this　interest　for　many　valuable　discoveries　in　Oriental　literature；　and　for　a　renewed　study　of
treasures　previously　known；　in　the　department　of　ancient　Asiatic　Culture；　Mythology；　Religions；　and　History。
In　Catholic　countries；　where　a　refined　literary　taste　prevails；　Governments　have　yielded　to　the　requirements　of
speculative　inquiry；　and　have　felt　the　necessity　of　allying　themselves　with　learning　and　philosophy。　Eloquently
and　impressively　has　the　Abbé　Lamennais　reckoned　it　among　the　criteria　of　the　true　religion；　that　it　must　be
the　universal　—　that　is；　catholic　—　and　the　oldest　in　date；　and　the　Congregation　has　laboured　zealously　and
diligently　in　France　towards　rendering　such　assertions　no　longer　mere　pulpit　tirades　and　authoritative　dicta；
such　as　were　deemed　sufficient　formerly。　The　religion　of　Buddha　—　a　god　man　—　which　has　prevailed　to　such
an　enormous　extent；　has　especially　attracted　attention。　The　Indian　Tim？rtis；　as　also　the　Chinese　abstraction　of
the　Trinity；　has　furnished　clearer　evidence　in　point　of　subject　matter。　The　savants；　M。　Abel　Remusat　and　M。
Saint　Martin；　on　the　one　hand；　have　undertaken　the　most　meritorious　investigations　in　the　Chinese　literature；
with　a　view　to　make　this　also　a　base　of　operations　for　researches　in　the　Mongolian　and；　if　such　were　possible；
in　the　Tibetan；　on　the　other　hand；　Baron　von　Eckstein；　in　his　way　（i。e。；　adopting　from　Germany　superficial
physical　conceptions　and　mannerisms；　in　the　style　of　Fr。　v。　Schlegel；　though　with　more　geniality　than　the　latter）
in　his　periodical；　Le　Catholique；　—　has　furthered　the　cause　of　that　primitive　Catholicism　generally；　and　in
particular　has　gained　for　the　savants　of　the　Congregation　the　support　of　the　Government；　so　that　it　has　even
set　on　foot　expeditions　to　the　East；　in　order　to　discover　there　treasures　still　concealed；　（from　which　further
disclosure