《哲学史-philosophy of history(英文版)》philosophy of history(英文版)-第7章

the　study　of　Universal　History；　we　should　at　least　leave　the　firm；　unconquerable　faith　that　Reason
does　exist　there；　and　that　the　World　of　intelligence　and　conscious　volition　is　not　abandoned　to
chance；　but　must　show　itself　in　the　light　of　the　self…cognisant　Idea。　Yet　I　am　not　obliged　to　make
any　such　preliminary　demand　upon　your　faith。　What　I　have　said　thus　provisionally；　and　what　I　shall
have　further　to　say；　is；　even　in　reference　to　our　branch　of　science；　not　to　be　regarded　as
hypothetical；　but　as　a　summary　view　of　the　whole；　the　result　of　the　investigation　we　are　about　to
pursue；　a　result　which　happens　to　be　known　to　me；　because　I　have　traversed　the　entire　field。　It　is
only　an　inference　from　the　history　of　the　World；　that　its　development　has　been　a　rational　process；
that　the　history　in　question　has　constituted　the　rational　necessary　course　of　the　World　Spirit　—　that
Spirit　whose　nature　is　always　one　and　the　same；　but　which　unfolds　this　its　one　nature　in　the
phenomena　of　the　World"s　existence。　This　must；　as　before　stated；　present　itself　as　the　ultimate
result　of　History。　But　we　have　to　take　the　latter　as　it　is。　We　must　proceed　historically　—
empirically。　Among　other　precautions　we　must　take　care　not　to　be　misled　by　professed　historians
who　（especially　among　the　Germans；　and　enjoying　a　considerable　authority）；　are　chargeable　with
the　very　procedure　of　which　they　accuse　the　Philosopher　—　introducing　à　priori　inventions　of
their　own　into　the　records　of　the　Past。　It　is；　for　example；　a　widely　current　fiction；　that　there　was　an
original　primeval　people；　taught　immediately　by　God；　endowed　with　perfect　insight　and　wisdom；
possessing　a　thorough　knowledge　of　all　natural　laws　and　spiritual　truth；　that　there　have　been　such
or　such　sacerdotal　peoples；　or；　to　mention　a　more　specific　averment；　that　there　was　a　Roman
Epos；　from　which　the　Roman　historians　derived　the　early　annals　of　their　city；　&c。　Authorities　of
this　kind　we　leave　to　those　talented　historians　by　profession；　among　whom　（in　Germany　at　least）
their　use　is　not　unmon。　—　We　might　then　announce　it　as　the　first　condition　to　be　observed；　that
we　should　faithfully　adopt　all　that　is　historical。　But　in　such　general　expressions　themselves；　as
“faithfully”　and　“adopt；”　lies　the　ambiguity。　Even　the　ordinary；　the　“impartial”　historiographer；
who　believes　and　professes　that　he　maintains　a　simply　receptive　attitude；　surrendering　himself　only
to　the　data　supplied　him　—　is　by　no　means　passive　as　regards　the　exercise　of　his　thinking　powers。
He　brings　his　categories　with　him；　and　sees　the　phenomena　presented　to　his　mental　vision；
exclusively　through　these　media。　And；　especially　in　all　that　pretends　to　the　name　of　science；　it　is
indispensable　that　Reason　should　not　sleep　—　that　reflection　should　be　in　full　play。　To　him　who
looks　upon　the　world　rationally；　the　world　in　its　turn；　presents　a　rational　aspect。　The　relation　is
mutual。　But　the　various　exercises　of　reflection　—　the　different　points　of　view　—　the　modes　of
deciding　the　simple　question　of　the　relative　importance　of　events　（the　first　category　that　occupies
the　attention　of　the　historian）；　do　not　belong　to　this　place。　
§　14
I　will　only　mention　two　phases　and　points　of　view　that　concern　the　generally　diffused　conviction
that　Reason　has　ruled；　and　is　still　ruling　in　the　world；　and　consequently　in　the　world"s　history；
because　they　give　us；　at　the　same　time；　an　opportunity　for　more　closely　investigating　the　question
that　presents　the　greatest　difficulty；　and　for　indicating　a　branch　of　the　subject；　which　will　have　to　be
enlarged　on　in　the　sequel。　
I。　Reason　Governs　the　World
§　15
One　of　these　points　is；　that　passage　in　history；　which　informs　us　that　the　Greek　Anaxagoras　was
the　first　to　enunciate　the　doctrine　that　Understanding　generally；　or　Reason；　governs　the　world。　It　is
not　intelligence　as　self…conscious　Reason；　—　not　a　Spirit　as　such　that　is　meant；　and　we　must　clearly
distinguish　these　from　each　other。　The　movement　of　the　solar　system　takes　place　according　to
unchangeable　laws。　These　laws　are　Reason；　implicit　in　the　phenomena　in　question。　But　neither　the
sun　nor　the　plas；　which　revolve　around　it　according　to　these　laws；　can　be　said　to　have　any
consciousness　of　them。　
§　16
A　thought　of　this　kind；　—　that　Nature　is　an　embodiment　of　Reason；　that　it　is　unchangeably
subordinate　to　universal　laws；　appears　nowise　striking　or　strange　to　us。　We　are　accustomed　to
such　conceptions；　and　find　nothing　extraordinary　in　them。　And　I　have　mentioned　this　extraordinary
occurrence；　partly　to　show　how　history　teaches；　that　ideas　of　this　kind；　which　may　seem　trivial　to
us；　have　not　always　been　in　the　world；　that　on　the　contrary；　such　a　thought　makes　an　epoch　in　the
annals　of　human　intelligence。　Aristotle　says　of　Anaxagoras；　as　the　originator　of　the　thought　in
question；　that　he　appeared　as　a　sober　man　among　the　drunken。　Socrates　adopted　the　doctrine
from　Anaxagoras；　and　it　forthwith　became　the　ruling　idea　in　Philosophy；　except　in　the　school　of
Epicurus；　who　ascribed　all　events　to　chance。　“I　was　delighted　with　the　sentiment；”　—　Plato
makes　Socrates　say　—　“and　hoped　I　had　found　a　teacher　who　would　show　me　Nature　in　harmony
with　Reason；　who　would　demonstrate　in　each　particular　phenomenon　its　specific　aim；　and　in　the
whole；　the　grand　object　of　the　Universe。　I　would　not　have　surrendered　this　hope　for　a　great　deal。
But　how　very　much　was　I　disappointed；　when；　having　zealously　applied　myself　to　the　writings　of
Anaxagoras；　I　found　that　he　adduces　only　external　causes；　such　as　Atmosphere；　Ether；　Water；
and　the　like。”　It　is　evident　that　the　defect　which　Socrates　plains　of　respecting　Anaxagoras"s
doctrine；　does　not　concern　the　principle　itself；　but　the　shorting　of　the　propounder　in　applying　it
to　Nature　in　the　concrete。　Nature　is　not　deduced　from　that　principle：　the　latter　remains　in　fact　a
mere　abstraction；　inasmuch　as　the　former　is　not　prehended　and　exhibited　as　a　development　of
it；　—　an　organisation　produced　by　and　from　Reason。　I　wish；　at　the　very