history of philosophy-第15章

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Frederick　von　Schlegel　revived　this　by…name　for　Philosophy；　and　desired　to　indicate　by　it　that
what　concerns　higher　spheres；　such　as　religion；　must　be　kept　apart；　and　he　had　many　followers。
Philosophy；　indeed；　occupies　itself　with　finite　things；　but；　according　to　Spinoza；　as　resting　in　the
divine　Idea：　it　has　thus　the　same　end　as　religion。　To　the　finite　sciences　which　are　now　separated
also　from　Philosophy；　the　Churches　objected　that　they　led　men　away　from　God；　since　they　have
as　objects　only　what　is　finite。　This　defect　in　them；　conceived　of　from　the　point　of　view　of　content；
leads　us　to　the　second　department　allied　to　Philosophy；　that　is；　to　Religion。

b。　Relation　of　Philosophy　to　Religion。

As　the　first　department　of　knowledge　was　related　to　Philosophy　principally　by　means　of　formal
and　independent　knowledge；　Religion；　though　in　its　content　quite　different　from　this　first　kind　or
sphere　of　knowledge；　is　through　it　related　to　Philosophy。　Its　object　is　not　the　earthly　and　worldly；
but　the　infinite。　In　the　case　of　art　and　still　more　in　that　of　Religion；　Philosophy　has　in　common　a
content　composed　entirely　of　universal　objects；　they　constitute　the　mode　in　which　the　highest　Idea
is　existent　for　the　unphilosophical　feeling；　the　perceiving　and　imagining　consciousness。　Inasmuch　as
in　the　progress　of　culture　in　time　the　manifestation　of　Religion　precedes　the　appearance　of
Philosophy；　this　circumstance　must　really　be　taken　account　of；　and　the　conditions　requisite　for
beginning　the　History　of　Philosophy　have　to　depend　on　this；　because　it　has　to　be　shown　in　how　far
what　pertains　to　Religion　is　to　be　excluded　from　it；　and　that　a　commencement　must　not　be　made
with　Religion。

In　Religion；　races　of　men　have　undoubtedly　expressed　their　idea　of　the　nature　of　the　world；　the
substance　of　nature　and　of　intellect　and　the　relation　of　man　thereto。　Absolute　Being　is　here　the
object　of　their　consciousness；　and　as　such；　is　for　them　pre…eminently　the　〃other；〃　a　〃beyond；〃
nearer　or　further　off；　more　or　less　friendly　or　frightful　and　alarming。　In　the　act　and　forms　of　worship
this　opposition　is　removed　by　man；　and　he　raises　himself　to　the　consciousness　of　unity　with　his
Being；　to　the　feeling　of；　or　dependence　on；　the　Grace　of　God；　in　that　God　has　reconciled　mankind
to　Himself。　In　conception；　with　the　Greeks；　for　instance；　this　existence　is　to　man　one　which　is
already　in　and　for　itself　and　friendly；　and　thus　worship　is　but　the　enjoyment　of　this　unity。　This
existence　is　now　reason　which　is　existent　in　and　for　itself；　the　universal　and　concrete　substance；　the
Mind　whose　first　cause　is　objective　to　itself　in　consciousness；　it　thus　is　a　representation　of　this　last
in　which　not　only　reason　in　general；　but　the　universal　infinite　reason　is。　We　must；　therefore；
comprehend　Religion；　as　Philosophy；　before　everything　else；　which　means　to　know　and　apprehend
it　in　reason；　for　it　is　the　work　of　self…revealing　reason　and　is　the　highest　form　of　reason。　Such　ideas
as　that　priests　have　framed　a　people's　Religion　in　fraud　and　self…interest　are　consequently　absurd；
to　regard　Religion　as　an　arbitrary　matter　or　a　deception　is　as　foolish　as　it　is　perverted。　Priests　have
often　profaned　Religion　…　the　possibility　of　which　is　a　consequence　of　the　external　relations　and
temporal　existence　of　Religion。　It　can　thus；　in　this　external　connection；　be　laid　hold　of　here　and
there；　but　because　it　is　Religion；　it　is　really　that　which　stands　firm　against　finite　ends　and　their
complications　and　constitutes　a　region　exalted　high　above　them。　This　region　of　Mind　is　really　the
Holy　place　of　Truth　itself；　the　Holy　place　in　which　are　dissolved　the　remaining　illusions　of　the
sensuous　world；　of　finite　ideas　and　ends；　and　of　the　sphere　of　opinion　and　caprice。

Inasmuch　as　it　really　is　the　content　of　religions；　this　rational　matter　might　now　seem　to　be　capable
of　being　abstracted　and　expressed　as　a　number　of　historical　theorems。　Philosophy　stands　on　the
same　basis　as　Religion　and　has　the　same　object　…　the　universal　reason　existing　in　and　for　itself；
Mind　desires　to　make　this　object　its　own；　as　is　done　with　Religion　in　the　act　and　form　of　worship。
But　the　form；　as　it　is　present　in　Religion；　is　different　from　what　is　found　to　be　contained　in
Philosophy；　and　on　this　account　a　history　of　Philosophy　is　different　from　a　history　of　Religion。
Worship　is　only　the　operation　of　reflection；　Philosophy　attempts　to　bring　about　the　reconciliation
by　means　of　thinking　knowledge；　because　Mind　desires　to　take　up　its　Being　into　itself。　Philosophy
is　related　in　the　form　of　thinking　consciousness　to　its　object；　with　Religion　it　is　different。　But　the
distinction　between　the　two　should　not　be　conceived　of　so　abstractly　as　to　make　it　seem　that
thought　is　only　in　Philosophy　and　not　in　Religion。　The　latter　has　likewise　ideas　and　universal
thoughts。　Because　both　are　so　nearly　related；　it　is　an　old　tradition　in　the　history　of　Philosophy　to
deduce　Philosophy　from　Persian；　Indian；　or　similar　philosophy；　a　custom　which　is　still　partly
retained　in　all　histories　of　Philosophy。　For　this　reason；　too；　it　is　a　legend　universally　believed；　that
Pythagoras；　for　instance；　received　his　Philosophy　from　India　and　Egypt；　the　fame　of　the　wisdom　of
these　people；　which　wisdom　is　understood　also　to　contain　Philosophy；　is　an　old　one。　The　Oriental
ideas　and　religious　worship　which　prevailed　throughout　the　West　up　to　the　time　of　the　Roman
Empire；　likewise　bear　the　name　of　Oriental　Philosophy。　The　Christian　Religion　and　Philosophy　are
thought　of　in　the　Christian　world；　as　more　definitely　divided；　in　these　Eastern　days；　on　the　other
hand；　Religion　and　Philosophy　are　still　conceived　of　as　one　in　so　far　as　that　the　content　has
remained　in　the　form　in　which　it　is　Philosophy。　Considering　the　prevalence　of　these　ideas　and　in
order　to　have　a　definite　limit　to　the　relations　between　a　history　of　Philosophy　and　religious　ideas；　it
is　desirable　to　note　some　further　considerations　as　to　the　form　which　separates　religious　ideas　from
philosophical　theorems。

Religion　has　not　only　universal　thought　as　inward　content　implicite　contained　in　its　myths；　ideas；
imaginations　and　in　its　exact　and　positive　histories；　so　that　we　require　first　of　all　to　dig　this　content
out　of　such　myths　in　the　form　of　theorems；　but　it　often　has　its　content　explicite　in　the　form　of
thought。　In　the　Persian　and　Indian　Religions　very　deep；　sublime　and　speculative　thoughts　are　even
expressed。　Indeed；　in　Religion　we　even　meet　philosophies　directly　expressed；　as　in　the　Philosophy
of　the　Fathers。　The　scholastic　Philosophy　really　was　Theology；　there　is　found　in　it　a　union　or；　if　you
will；　a　mixture　of　Theology　and　Philosophy　which　may　very　well　puzzle　us。　The　question　which
confronts　us　on　the　one　side　is；　how　Philosophy　differs　from　Theology；　as　the　science　of　Religion；
or　from　Religion　as　consciousness？　And　then；　in　how　far　have　we　in　the　history　of　Philosophy　to
take　account　of　what　pertains　to　Religion？　For　the　reply　to　this　last　question　three　aspects　have
again　to　be　dealt　with；　first　of　all　the　mythical　and　historical　aspect　of　Religion　and　its　relation　to
Philosophy；　in　the　second　place　the　theorems　and　speculative　thoughts　directly　expressed　in
Religion；　and　in　the　third　place　we　must　speak　of　Philosophy　within　Theology。

A。　Difference　between　Philosophy　and　Religion。

The　consideration　of　the　mythical　aspect　of　Religion　or　the　historical　and　positive　side　generally；　is
interesting；　because　from　it　the　difference　in　respect　of　form　will　show　in　what　this　content　is
antagonistic　to　Philosophy。　Indeed；　taken　in　its　connections；　its　difference　passes　into　apparent
inconsistency。　This　diversity　is　not　only　found　in　our　contemplation　but　forms　a　very　definite
element　in　history。　It　is　required　by　Philosophy　that　it　should　justify　its　beginning　and　its　manner　of
knowledge；　and　Philosophy　has　thus　placed　itself　in　opposition　to　Religion。　On　the　other　hand
Philosophy　is　combated　and　condemned　by　Religion　and　by　the　Churches。　The　Greek　popular
religion　indeed；　proscribed　several　philosophers；　but　the　opposition　is　even　more　apparent　in　the
Christian　Church。　The　question　is　thus　not　only　whether　regard　is　to　be　paid　to　Religion　in　the
history　of　Philosophy；　for　it　has　been　the　case　that　Philosophy　has　paid　attention　to　Religion；　and
the　latter　to　the　former。　Since　neither　of　the　two　has　allowed　the　other　to　rest　undisturbed；　we　are
not　permitted　to　do　so　either。　Of　their　relations；　therefore；　we　must　speak　definitely；　openly　and
honestly　…　aborder　la　question；　as　the　French　say。　We　must　not　hesitate；　as　if　such　a　discussion
were　too　delicate；　nor　try　to　help　ourselves　out　by　beating　about　the　bush；　nor　must　we　seek　to
find　evasions　or　shifts；　so　that　in　the　end　no　one　can　tell　what　we　mean。　We　must　not　seem　to　wish
to　leave　Religion　alone。　This　is　nothing　else　than　to　appear　to　wish　to　conceal　the　fact　that
Philosophy　has　directed　its　efforts　against　Religion。　Religion；　that　is；　the　theologians；　are　indeed　the
cause　of　this；　they　ignore　Philosophy；　but　only　in　order　that　they　may　not　be　contradicted　in　their
arbitrary　reasoning。

It　may　appear　as　if　Religion　demanded　that　man　should　abstain　from　thinking　of　universal　matters
and　Philosophy　because　they　are　merely　worldly　wisdom　and　represent　human　operations。　Human
reason　is　here　opposed　to　the　divine。　Men　are；　indeed；　well　accustomed　to　a　distinction　between
divine　teaching　and　laws　and　human　power　and　inventions；　such　that　under　the　latter　everything　is
comprehended　which　in　its　manifestation　proceeds　from　the　consciousness；　the　intelligence　or　the
will　of　mankind　which　makes　all　this　opposed　to　the　knowledge　of　God　and　to　things　rendered
divine　by　divine　revelation。　But　the　depreciation　of　what　is　human　expressed　by　this　opposition　is
then　driven　further　still；　inasmuch　as　while　it　implies　the　further　view　that　man　is　certainly　called
upon　to　admire　the　wisdom　of　God　in　Nature；　and　that　the　grain；　the　mountains；　the　cedars　of
Lebanon　in　all　their　glory；　the　song　of　the　birds　in　the　bough；　the　superior　skill　and　the　domestic
instincts　of　animals　are　all　magnified　as　being　the　work　of　God；　it　also　implies　that　the　wisdom；
goodness　and　justice　of　God　is；　indeed；　pointed　out　in　human　affairs；　but　not　so　much　in　the
disposition　or　laws　of　man　or　in　actions　performed　voluntarily　and　in　the　ordinary　progress　of　the
world；　as　in　human　destiny；　that　is；　in　that　which　is　external　and　even　arbitrary　in　relation　to
knowledge　and　free…will。　Thus　what　is　external　and　accidental　is　regarded　as　emphatically　the
work　of　God；　and　what　has　its　root　in　will　and　conscience；　as　the　work　of　man。　The　harmony
between　outward　relations；　circumstances　and　events　and　the　general　aims　of　man　is　certainly
something　of　a　higher　kind；　but　this　is　the　case　only　for　the　reason　that　this　harmony　is　considered
with　respect　to　ends　which　are　human　and　not　natural　such　as　those　present　in　the　life　of　a　sparrow
which　finds　its　food。　But　if　the　summit　of　everything　is　found　in　this；　that　God　rules　over　Nature；
what　then　is　free…will？　Does　He　not　rule　over　what　is　spiritual；　or　rather　since　He　himself　is
spiritual；　in　what　is　spiritual？　and　is　not　the　ruler　over　or　in　the　spiritual　regio