哲学史-philosophy of history(英文版)-第2章

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e　in　contact　with　States；　or　begin　to　form　constitutions。　
§　71　We　now　have　to　state　the　direction　of　its　course：　though　here　only　formally。　
§　72　The　logical；　and　dialectical　nature　of　the　Idea；　viz。　that　it　is　self…determined　—　that　it
assumes　successive　forms　which　it　successively　transcends；　and　by　this　very　process　gains　a　richer
and　more　concrete　shape。　
§　73　A　doubt　has　been　suggested　whether　in　the　progress　of　history　and　of　general　culture；
mankind　have　bee　better。　
§　74　The　History　of　the　World　occupies　a　higher　ground　than　that　on　which　morality　has　properly
its　position。　
§　75　The　condition　of　Philosophy's　existence　is　the　taking　up　of　the　object　of　thought；　and　at　the
same　time　clothing　it　with　the　form　of　universality。　
§　76　Language　attains　on　its　own　particular　ground　a　high　intellectual　development；　prior　to　the
mencement　of　civilisation。　
§　77　Philosophy　also　must　make　its　appearance　where　political　life　exists。　
§　78　Among　all　world…historical　peoples；　art；　science；　even　philosophy　show　not　only　diversity　in
style；　but　still　more　remarkably　in　subject…matter。　
§　79　Those　spheres　of　intelligence　which　lie　beyond　the　limits　of　this　consciousness　are　a　mon
ground。　
§　80　It　is　the　concrete　spirit　of　a　people　which　we　have　to　recognise；　and　it　can　only　be
prehended　spiritually。　
§　81　History　is　the　development　of　Spirit　in　Time；　as　Nature　is　the　development　of　the　Idea　in
Space。　
§　82　With　a　vast　expenditure　of　power　a　trivial　result　is　produced；　while　from　what　appears
unimportant；　a　tremendous　issue　proceeds。　
§　83　What　traveller　among　the　ruins　of　Carthage　or　Rome　has　not　reflected　on　the　transience　of
kingdoms　and　men。　
§　84　Spirit　manipulates　itself；　multiplying　the　material　for　future　endeavours　and　gratifying　its
desires　in　a　variety　which　is　inexhaustible。　
§　85　The　very　essence　of　Spirit　is　activity；　it　realises　its　potentiality　and　bees　an　object　to
itself；　contemplates　itself　as　an　objective　existence。　
§　86　The　Spirit　of　a　people　exists　as　a　genus；　and　consequently　carries　within　it　its　own　negation。　
§　87　It　is　not　of　the　nature　of　the　all…pervading　Spirit　to　die　this　merely　natural　death。　
§　88　The　highest　point　in　the　development　of　a　people　is　this：　to　have　reduced　its　laws；　its　ideas　of
justice　and　morality　to　a　science。　
§　89　We　have　then　before　us　a　real　and　an　ideal　existence　of　the　Spirit　of　the　Nation。　
§　90　We　are　sure　to　see　a　people　putting　talk　about　virtue　partly　side　by　side　with　actual　virtue。　
§　91　At　the　same　time　the　isolation　of　individuals　from　each　other　and　from　the　Whole　makes　its
appearance。　
§　92　Zeus　and　his　race　are　themselves　swallowed　up　by　the　very　power　that　produced　them　—
the　principle　of　thought。　
§　93　Time　is　the　negative　element　in　the　sensuous　world。　Thought　is　the　same　negativity。　
§　94　Thought　is　that　Universal　…　that　Species　which　is　immortal。　
§　95　Spirit；　in　rendering　itself　objective　and　making　this　an　object　of　thought；　destroys　the
determinate　form　of　its　being；　but　gains　a　prehension　of　its　universal　element。　
§　96　The　individual　traverses　as　a　unity　various　grades　of　development；　and　remains　the　same
individual；　in　like　manner　also　does　a　people。　
§　97　The　life　of　a　people　ripens　a　certain　fruit。　But　this　fruit　does　not　fall　back　into　the　bosom　of
the　people　that　produced　it；　but　bees　a　poison…draught　to　it。　
§　98　The　principles　of　the　successive　phases　of　Spirit　that　animate　Nations；　are　only　steps　of　the
one　universal　Spirit。　
§　99　Philosophy；　as　occupying　itself　with　the　True；　has　only　to　do　with　the　eternally　present。。　




Introduction

The　subject　of　this　course　of　Lectures　is　the　Philosophical　History　of　the　World。　And　by　this　must
be　understood；　not　a　collection　of　general　observations　respecting　it；　suggested　by　the　study　of　its
records；　and　proposed　to　be　illustrated　by　its　facts；　but　Universal　History　itself。

I　cannot　mention　any　work　that　will　serve　as　a　pendium　of　the　course；　but　I　may　remark　that　in
my　The　Philosophy　of　Right　§§。　341…360；　I　have　already　given　a　definition　of　such　a　Universal
History　as　it　is　proposed　to　develop；　and　a　syllabus　of　the　chief　elements　or　periods　into　which　it
naturally　divides　itself。

To　gain　a　clear　idea　at　the　outset；　of　the　nature　of　our　task；　it　seems　necessary　to　begin　with　an
examination　of　the　other　methods　of　treating　History。　The　various　methods　may　be　ranged　under
three　heads：　

　　　　　I。　　　Original　History
　　　　　II。　　Reflective　History
　　　　　III。　Philosophical　History
　　　　　　　　　　i。　　　Reason　Governs　the　World
　　　　　　　　　　ii。　　Essential　destiny　of　Reason
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（1）　The　Abstract　Characteristics　of　the　Nature　of　Spirit
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（2）　The　Means　Spirit　Uses　to　Realize　Its　Idea
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（3）　The　Embodiment　Spirit　Assumes　…　the　State
　　　　　　　　　　iii。　The　Course　of　the　World's　History




I。Original　History

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　1

Of　the　first　kind；　the　mention　of　one　or　two　distinguished　names　will　furnish　a　definite　type。　To　this
category　belong　Herodotus；　Thucydides；　and　other　historians　of　the　same　order；　whose
descriptions　are　for　the　most　part　limited　to　deeds；　events；　and　states　of　society；　which　they　had
before　their　eyes；　and　whose　spirit　they　shared。　They　simply　transferred　what　was　passing　in　the
world　around　them；　to　the　realm　of　representative　intellect。　An　external　phenomenon　is　thus
translated　into　an　internal　conception。　In　the　same　way　the　poet　operates　upon　the　material
supplied　him　by　his　emotions；　projecting　it　into　an　image　for　the　conceptive　faculty。　These　original
historians　did；　it　is　true；　find　statements　and　narratives　of　other　men　ready　to　hand。　One　person
cannot　be　an　eye　and　ear　witness　of　everything。　But　they　make　use　of　such　aids　only　as　the　poet
does　of　that　heritage　of　an　already…formed　language；　to　which　he　owes　so　much；　merely　as　an
ingredient。　Historiographers　bind　together　the　fleeting　elements　of　story；　and　treasure　them　up　for
immortality　in　the　Temple　of　Mnemosyne。　Legends；　Ballad…stories；　Traditions　must　be　excluded
from　such　original　history。　These　are　but　dim　and　hazy　forms　of　historical　apprehension；　and
therefore　belong　to　nations　whose　intelligence　is　but　half　awakened。　Here；　on　the　contrary；　we
have　to　do　with　people　fully　conscious　of　what　they　were　and　what　they　were　about。　The　domain
of　reality　—　actually　seen；　or　capable　of　being　so　—　affords　a　very　different　basis　in　point　of
firmness　from　that　fugitive　and　shadowy　element；　in　which　were　engendered　those　legends　and
poetic　dreams　whose　historical　prestige　vanishes；　as　soon　as　nations　have　attained　a　mature
individuality。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　2

Such　original　historians；　then；　change　the　events；　the　deeds　and　the　states　of　society　with　which
they　are　conversant；　into　an　object　for　the　conceptive　faculty。　The　narratives　they　leave　us　cannot；
therefore；　be　very　prehensive　in　their　range。　Herodotus；　Thucydides；　Guieciardini；　may　be
taken　as　fair　samples　of　the　class　in　this　respect。　What　is　present　and　living　in　their　environment；　is
their　proper　material。　The　influences　that　have　formed　the　writer　are　identical　with　those　which
have　moulded　the　events　that　constitute　the　matter　of　his　story。　The　author's　spirit；　and　that　of　the
actions　he　narrates；　is　one　and　the　same。　He　describes　scenes　in　which　he　himself　has　been　an
actor；　or　at　any　rate　an　interested　spectator。　It　is　short　periods　of　time；　individual　shapes　of
persons　and　occurrences；　single　unreflected　traits；　of　which　be　makes　his　picture。　And　his　aim　is
nothing　more　than　the　presentation　to　posterity　of　an　image　of　events　as　clear　as　that　which　be
himself　possessed　in　virtue　of　personal　observation；　or　life…like　descriptions。　Reflections　are　none
of　his　business；　for　he　lives　in　the　spirit　of　his　subject；　he　has　not　attained　an　elevation　above　it。　If；
as　in　Caesar's　case；　he　belongs　to　the　exalted　rank　of　generals　or　statesmen；　it　is　the　prosecution
of　his　own　aims　that　constitutes　the　history。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　3

Such　speeches　as　we　find　in　Thucydides　（for　example）　of　which　we　can　positively　assert　that　they
are　not　bona　fide　reports；　would　seem　to　make　against　our　statement　that　a　historian　of　his　class
presents　us　no　reflected　picture；　that　persons　and　people　appear　in　his　works　in　propria　persona。
Speeches；　it　must　be　allowed；　are　veritable　transactions　in　the　human　monwealth；　in　fact；　very
gravely　influential　transactions。　It　is；　indeed；　often　said；　〃Such　and　such　things　are　only　talk〃；　by
way　of　demonstrating　their　harmlessness。　That　for　which　this　excuse　is　brought；　may　be　mere
〃talk〃；　and　talk　enjoys　the　important　privilege　of　being　harmless。　But　addresses　of　peoples　to
peoples；　or　orations　directed　to　nations　and　to　princes；　are　integrant　constituents　of　history。
Granted　such　orations　as　those　of　Pericles　—　the　most　profoundly　acplished；　genuine；　noble
statesman　—　were　elaborated　by　Thucydides；　it　must　yet　be　maintained　that　they　were　not　foreign
to　the　character　of　the　speaker。　In　the　oration　in　question；　these　men　proclaim　the　maxims　adopted
by　their　countrymen；　and　which　formed　their　own　character；　they　record　t