history of philosophy-第12章

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depends　on　whether　certain　reflections；　certain　thought　determinations；　and　certain　stages　in　the
Notion　have　come　to　consciousness；　whether　a　consciousness　has　been　developed　to　a　particular
point　or　not。　The　history　of　Philosophy　has　simply　to　deal　with　this　development　and　bringing　forth
of　thought。　The　determinations　involved　certainly　follow　from　a　proposition；　but　whether　they　are
put　forth　as　yet　or　not　is　quite　another　thing；　and　the　bringing　forth　of　the　inner　content　is　the　only
matter　of　importance。　We　must　therefore　only　make　use　of　the　words　which　are　actually　literal；　for
to　use　further　thought　determinations　which　do　not　yet　belong　to　the　consciousness　of　the
philosopher　in　question；　is　to　carry　on　development。　Thus　Aristotle　states　that　Thales　has　defined
the　principle　（archi）　of　every　thing　to　be　water。　But　Anaximander　first　made　use　of　archi；　and
Thales　thus　did　not　possess　this　determination　of　thought　at　all；　he　recognized　arch　i　as
commencement　in　time；　but　not　as　the　fundamental　principle。　Thales　did　not　once　introduce　the
determination　of　cause　into　his　philosophy；　and　first　cause　is　a　further　determination　still。　There　are
whole　nations　which　have　not　this　conception　at　all；　indeed　it　involves　a　great　step　forward　in
development。　And　seeing　that　difference　in　culture　on　the　whole　depends　on　difference　in　the
thought　determinations　which　are　manifested；　this　must　be　so　still　more　with　respect　to
philosophies。　

Now；　as　in　the　logical　system　of　thought　each　of　its　forms　has　its　own　place　in　which　alone　it
suffices；　and　this　form　becomes；　by　means　of　ever…progressing　development；　reduced　to　a
subordinate　element；　each　philosophy　is；　in　the　third　place；　a　particular　stage　in　the　development　of
the　whole　process　and　has　its　definite　place　where　it　finds　its　true　value　and　significance。　Its　special
character　is　really　to　be　conceived　of　in　accordance　with　this　determination；　and　it　is　to　be
considered　with　respect　to　this　position　in　order　that　full　justice　may　be　done　to　it。　On　this　account
nothing　more　must　be　demanded　or　expected　from　it　than　what　it　actually　gives；　and　the
satisfaction　is　not　to　be　sought　for　in　it；　which　can　only　be　found　in　a　fuller　development　of
knowledge。　　We　must　not　expect　to　find　the　questions　of　our　consciousness　and　the　interest　of　the
present　world　responded　to　by　the　ancients；　such　questions　presuppose　a　certain　development　in
thought。　Therefore　every　philosophy　belongs　to　its　own　time　and　is　restricted　by　its　own
limitations；　just　because　it　is　the　manifestation　of　a　particular　stage　in　development。　The　individual　is
the　offspring　of　his　people；　of　his　world；　whose　constitution　and　attributes　are　alone　manifested　in
his　form；　he　may　spread　himself　out　as　he　will；　he　cannot　escape　out　of　his　time　any　more　than　out
of　his　skin；　for　he　belongs　to　the　one　universal　Mind　which　is　his　substance　and　his　own　existence。
How　should　he　escape　from　this？　It　is　the　same　universal　Mind　that　is　embraced　by　thinking
Philosophy；　that　Philosophy　is　Mind's　thought　of　itself　and　therefore　its　determinate　and　substantial
content。　Every　philosophy　is　the　philosophy　of　its　own　day；　a　link　in　the　whole　chain　of　spiritual
development；　and　thus　it　can　only　find　satisfaction　for　the　interests　belonging　to　its　own　particular
time。　

On　this　account　an　earlier　philosophy　does　not　give　satisfaction　to　the　mind　in　which　a　deeper
conception　reigns。　What　Mind　seeks　for　in　Philosophy　is　this　conception　which　already　constitutes
its　inward　determination　and　the　root　of　its　existence　conceived　of　as　object　to　thought；　Mind
demands　a　knowledge　of　itself。　But　in　the　earlier　philosophy　the　Idea　is　not　yet　present　in　this
determinate　character。　Hence　the　philosophy　of　Plato　and　Aristotle；　and　indeed　all　philosophies；
ever　live　and　are　present　in　their　principles；　but　Philosophy　no　longer　has　the　particular　form　and
aspect　possessed　by　that　of　Plato　and　of　Aristotle。　We　cannot　rest　content　with　them；　and　they
cannot　be　revived；　hence　there　can　be　no　Platonists；　Aristotelians；　Stoics；　or　Epicureans　today。　To
re…awaken　them　would　be　to　try　to　bring　back　to　an　earlier　stage　the　Mind　of　a　deeper　culture　and
self…penetration。　But　this　cannot　be　the　case；　it　would　be　an　impossibility　and　as　great　a　folly　as
were　a　man　to　wish　to　expend　his　energies　in　attaining　the　standpoint　of　the　youth；　the　youth　in
endeavouring　to　be　the　boy　or　child　again；　whereas　the　man；　the　youth；　and　the　child；　are　all　one
and　the　same　individual。　The　period　of　revival　in　the　sciences；　the　new　epoch　in　learning　which
took　place　in　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries；　began　not　only　with　the　revived　study　of；　but
also　with　the　re…animation　of　the　old　philosophies。　Marsilius　Ficinus　was　a　Platonist；　an　Academy
of　Platonic　philosophy　was　established　and　installed　with　professors　by　Cosmos　de　Medici；　and
Ficinus　was　placed　at　the　head　of　it。　There　were　pure　Aristotelians　like　Pomponius：　Gassendi　later
on　maintained　the　Epicurean　philosophy；　for　his　philosophy　dealt　with　Physics　after　the　manner　of
the　Epicureans；　Lipsius　wished　to　be　a　Stoic；　and　so　on。　The　sense　of　opposition　was　so　great；
ancient　philosophy　and　Christianity　…　from　or　in　which　no　special　philosophy　had　developed　…　were
so　diverse；　that　no　philosophy　peculiar　to　itself　could　develop　in　Christianity。　What　was　or　could
be　had　as　philosophy；　either　in　conformity　with　or　in　opposition　to　Christianity；　was　a　certain
ancient　philosophy　which　was　thus　taken　up　anew。　But　mummies　when　brought　amongst　living
beings　cannot　there　remain。　Mind　had　for　long　possessed　a　more　substantial　life；　a　more　profound
Notion　of　itself；　and　hence　its　thought　had　higher　needs　than　such　as　could　be　satisfied　by　these
philosophies。　A　revival　such　as　this　is　then　to　be　regarded　only　as　the　transitory　period　in　which　we
learn　to　know　the　forms　which　are　implied　and　which　have　gone　before；　and　as　the　renewal　of
former　struggles　through　the　steps　necessary　in　development。　Such　reconstructions　and　repetitions
in　a　distant　time　of　principles　which　have　become　foreign　to　Mind；　are　in　history　transitory　only；
and　formed　in　a　language　which　is　dead。　Such　things　are　translations　only　and　not　originals；　and
Mind　does　not　find　satisfaction　excepting　in　knowledge　of　its　own　origination。　

When　modern　times　are　in　the　same　way　called　upon　to　revert　to　the　standpoint　of　an　ancient
philosophy　（as　is　recommended　specially　in　regard　to　the　philosophy　of　Plato）　in　order　to　make
this　a　means　of　escaping　from　the　complications　and　difficulties　of　succeeding　times；　this　reversion
does　not　come　naturally　as　in　the　first　case。　This　discreet　counsel　has　the　same　origin　as　the
request　to　cultivated　members　of　society　to　turn　back　to　the　customs　and　ideas　of　the　savages　of
the　North　American　forests；　or　as　the　recommendation　to　adopt　the　religion　of　Melchisedec　which
Fichte　（6）　has　maintained　to　be　the　purest　and　simplest　possible；　and　therefore　the　one　at　which
we　must　eventually　arrive。　On　the　one　hand；　in　this　retrogression　the　desire　for　an　origin　and　for　a
fixed　point　of　departure　is　unmistakable；　but　such　must　be　sought　for　in　thought　and　Idea　alone　and
not　in　an　authoritatively　given　form。　On　the　other　hand；　the　return　of　the　developed；　enriched　Mind
to　a　simplicity　such　as　this…which　means　to　an　abstraction；　an　abstract　condition　or　thought　is　to　be
regarded　only　as　the　escape　of　an　incapacity　which　cannot　enjoy　the　rich　material　of　development
which　it　sees　before　it；　and　which　demands　to　be　controlled　and　comprehended　in　its　very　depths
by　thought；　but　seeks　a　refuge　in　fleeing　from　the　difficulty　and　in　mere　sterility。　

From　what　has　been　said　it　is　quite　comprehensible　how　so　many　of　those　who；　whether　induced
by　some　special　attraction　such　as　this；　or　simply　by　the　fame　of　a　Plato　or　ancient　philosophy　in
general；　direct　their　way　thereto　in　order　to　draw　their　own　philosophy　from　these　sources；　do　not
find　themselves　satisfied　by　the　study；　and　unjustifiably　quit　such　altogether。　Satisfaction　is　found　in
them　to　a　certain　extent　only。　We　must　know　in　ancient　philosophy　or　in　the　philosophy　of　any
given　period；　what　we　are　going　to　look　for。　Or　at　least　we　must　know　that　in　such　a　philosophy
there　is　before　us　a　definite　stage　in　the　development　of　thought；　and　in　it　those　forms　and
necessities　of　Mind　which　lie　within　the　limits　of　that　stage　alone　are　brought　into　existence。　There
slumber　in　the　Mind　of　modern　times　ideas　more　profound　which　require　for　their　awakening　other
surroundings　and　another　present　than　the　abstract；　dim；　grey　thought　of　olden　times。　In　Plato；　for
instance；　questions　regarding　the　nature　of　freedom；　the　origin　of　evil　and　of　sin；　providence；　&c。；
do　not　find　their　philosophic　answer。　On　such　subjects　we　certainly　may　in　part　take　the　ordinary
serious　views　of　the　present　time；　and　in　part　philosophically　set　their　consideration　altogether
aside；　or　else　consider　sin　and　freedom　as　something　negative　only。　But　neither　the　one　plan　nor
the　other　gives　freedom　to　Mind　if　such　subjects　have　once　been　explicitly　for　it；　and　if　the
opposition　in　self…consciousness　has　given　it　the　power　of　sinking　its　interests　therein。　The　case　is
similar　with　regard　to　questions　regarding　the　limits　of　knowledge；　the　opposition　between
subjectivity　and　objectivity　which　had　not　yet　come　up　in　Plato's　age。　The　independence　of　the
within　itself　and　its　explicit　existence　was　foreign　to　him；　man　had　not　yet　gone　back　within　himself；
had　not　yet　set　himself　forth　as　explicit。　The　subject　was　indeed　the　individual　as　free；　but　as　yet　he
knew　himself　only　as　in　unity　with　his　Being。　The　Athenian　knew　himself　to　be　free；　as　such；　just　as
the　Roman　citizen　would；　as　ingenuus。　But　the　fact　that　man　is　in　and　for　himself　free；　in　his
essence　and　as　man；　free　born；　was　known　neither　by　Plato；　Aristotle；　Cicero；　nor　the　Roman
legislators；　even　though　it　is　this　conception　alone　which　forms　the　source　of　law。　In　Christianity　the
individual；　personal　mind　for　the　first　time　becomes　of　real；　infinite　and　absolute　value；　God　wills
that　all　men　shall　be　saved。　It　was　in　the　Christian　religion　that　the　doctrine　was　advanced　that　all
men　are　equal　before　God；　because　Christ　has　set　them　free　with　the　freedom　of　Christianity。
These　principles　make　freedom　independent　of　any　such　things　as　birth；　standing　or　culture。　The
progress　made　through　them　is　enormous；　but　they　still　come　short　of　this；　that　to　be　free
constitutes　the　very　idea　of　man。　The　sense　of　this　existent　principle　has　been　an　active　force　for
centuries　and　centuries；　and　an　impelling　power　which　has　brought　about　the　most　tremendous
revolutions；　but　the　conception　and　the　knowledge　of　the　natural　freedom　of　man　is　a　knowledge
of　himself　which　is　not　old。　




Introduction
　　　　　　　　B。　　Relation　of　Philosophy　to　Other
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Departments　of　Knowledge。

The　History　of　Philosophy　has　to　represent　this　science　in　that　form　of　time　and　individualities　from
which　its　outward　form　has　resulted。　Such　a　representation　has；　however；　to　shut　out　from　itself
the　external　history　of　the　time；　and　to　take　into　account　only　the　general　character　of　the　people
and　time；　and