《哲学史-philosophy of history(英文版)》philosophy of history(英文版)-第29章
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