哲学史-philosophy of history(英文版)-第16章

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what　has　happened。　This　union　of　the　two　meanings　we　must　regard　as　of　a　higher　order　than　mere
outward　accident；　we　must　suppose　historical　narrations　to　have　appeared　contemporaneously
with　historical　deeds　and　events。　It　is　an　internal　vital　principle　mon　to　both　that　produces　them
synchronously。　Family　memorials；　patriarchal　traditions；　have　an　interest　confined　to　the　family　and
the　clan。　The　uniform　course　of　events　which　such　a　condition　implies；　is　no　subject　of　serious
remembrance；　though　distinct　transactions　or　turns　of　fortune；　may　rouse　Mnemosyne　to　form
conceptions　of　them；　—　in　the　same　way　as　love　and　the　religious　emotions　provoke　imagination　to
give　shape　to　a　previously　formless　impulse。　But　it　is　the　State　which　first　presents　subject…matter
that　is　not　only　adapted　to　the　prose　of　History；　but　involves　the　production　of　such　history　in　the
very　progress　of　its　own　being。　Instead　of　merely　subjective　mandates　on　the　part　of　government；
—　sufficing　for　the　needs　of　the　moment；　—　a　munity　that　is　acquiring　a　stable　existence；　and
exalting　itself　into　a　State；　requires　formal　mands　and　laws　—　prehensive　and　universally
binding　prescriptions；　and　thus　produces　a　record　as　well　as　an　interest　concerned　with　intelligent；
definite　—　and；　in　their　results　—　lasting　transactions　and　occurrences；　on　which　Mnemosyne；　for
the　behoof　of　the　perennial　object　of　the　formation　and　constitution　of　the　State；　is　impelled　to
confer　perpetuity。　Profound　sentiments　generally；　such　as　that　of　love；　as　also　religious　intuition　and
its　conceptions；　are　in　themselves　plete　—　constantly　present　and　satisfying；　but　that　outward
existence　of　a　political　constitution　which　is　enshrined　in　its　rational　laws　and　customs；　is　an
imperfect　Present；　and　cannot　be　thoroughly　understood　without　a　knowledge　of　the　past。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　69

The　periods　—　whether　we　suppose　them　to　be　centuries　or　millennia　—　that　were　passed　by
nations　before　history　was　written　among　them；　—　and　which　may　have　been　filled　with
revolutions；　nomadic　wanderings；　and　the　strangest　mutations；　—　are　on　that　very　account　destitute
of　objective　history；　because　they　present　no　subjective　history；　no　annals。　We　need　not　suppose
that　the　records　of　such　periods　have　accidentally　perished；　rather；　because　they　were　not
possible；　do　we　find　them　wanting。　Only　in　a　State　cognisant　of　Laws；　can　distinct　transactions
take　place；　acpanied　by　such　a　clear　consciousness　of　them　as　supplies　the　ability　and
suggests　the　necessity　of　an　enduring　record。　It　strikes　every　one；　in　beginning　to　form　an
acquaintance　with　the　treasures　of　Indian　literature；　that　a　land　so　rich　in　intellectual　products；　and
those　of　the　profoundest　order　of　thought；　has　no　History；　and　in　this　respect　contrasts　most
strongly　with　China　—　an　empire　possessing　one　so　remarkable；　one　going　back　to　the　most
ancient　times。　India　has　not　only　ancient　books　relating　to　religion；　and　splendid　poetical
productions；　but　also　ancient　codes；　the　existence　of　which　latter　kind　of　literature　has　been
mentioned　as　a　condition　necessary　to　the　origination　of　History　—　and　yet　History　itself　is　not
found。　But　in　that　country　the　impulse　of　organisation；　in　beginning　to　develop　social　distinctions；
was　immediately　petrified　in　the　merely　natural　classification　according　to　castes；　so　that　although
the　laws　concern　themselves　with　civil　rights；　they　make　even　these　dependent　on　natural
distinctions；　and　are　especially　occupied　with　determining　the　relations　（Wrongs　rather　than　Rights）
of　those　classes　towards　each　other；　i。e。；　the　privileges　of　the　higher　over　the　lower。　Consequently；
the　element　of　morality　is　banished　from　the　pomp　of　Indian　life　and　from　its　political　institutions。
Where　that　iron　bondage　of　distinctions　derived　from　nature　prevails；　the　connection　of　society　is
nothing　but　wild　arbitrariness；　—　transient　activity；　—　or　rather　the　play　of　violent　emotion　without
any　goal　of　advancement　or　development。　Therefore　no　intelligent　reminiscence；　no　object　for
Mnemosyne　presents　itself；　and　imagination　—　confused　though　profound　—　expatiates　in　a　region；
which；　to　be　capable　of　History；　must　have　had　an　aim　within　the　domain　of　Reality；　and；　at　the
same　time　；　of　substantial　Freedom。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　70

Since　such　are　the　conditions　indispensable　to　a　history；　it　has　happened　that　the　growth　of
Families　to　Clans；　of　Clans　to　Peoples；　and　their　local　diffusion　consequent　upon　this　numerical
increased　series　of　facts　which　itself　suggests　so　many　instances　of　social　plication；　war；
revolution；　and　ruin；　—　a　process　which　is　so　rich　in　interest；　and　so　prehensive　in　extent；　—
has　occurred　without　giving　rise　to　History：　moreover；　that　the　extension　and　organic　growth　of　the
empire　of　articulate　sounds　has　itself　remained　voiceless　and　dumb；　—　a　stealthy；　unnoticed
advance。　It　is　a　fact　revealed　by　philological　monuments；　that　languages；　during　a　rude　condition　of
the　nations　that　have　spoken　them；　have　been　very　highly　developed；　that　the　human　understanding
occupied　this　theoretical　region　with　great　ingenuity　and　pleteness。　For　Grammar；　in　its
extended　and　consistent　form；　is　the　work　of　thought；　which　makes　its　categories　distinctly　visible
therein。　It　is；　moreover；　a　fact；　that　with　advancing　social　and　political　civilisation；　this　systematic
pleteness　of　intelligence　suffers　attrition；　and　language　thereupon　bees　poorer　and　ruder：　a
singular　phenomenon　—　that　the　progress　towards　a　more　highly　intellectual　condition；　while
expanding　and　cultivating　rationality；　should　disregard　that　intelligent　amplitude　and　expressiveness
—　should　find　it　an　obstruction　and　contrive　to　do　without　it。　Speech　is　the　act　of　theoretic
intelligence　in　a　special　sense；　it　is　its　external　manifestation。　Exercises　of　memory　and　imagination
without　language；　are　direct；　＇non…speculative＇　manifestations。　But　this　act　of　theoretic　intelligence
itself；　as　also　its　subsequent　development；　and　the　more　concrete　class　of　facts　connected　with　it；
…viz。　the　spreading　of　peoples　over　the　earth；　their　separation　from　each　other；　their　ings　and
wanderings　—　remain　involved　in　the　obscurity　of　a　voiceless　past。　They　are　not　acts　of　Will
being　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　e　in
contact　with　States；　or　begin　to　form　political　constitutions　themselves。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　71

After　these　remarks；　relating　to　the　form　of　the　mencement　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；　es
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　mon　peculiarity；　—　the　particular　principle　that　characterises　a
people；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　in　the　facts　which　History　presents　in　detail；　that　mon
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　acplish　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；　—　iliarity　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…e