history of philosophy-第20章

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a　mythical　form。〃　Such　is　not　the　form　in　which　thought　allows　itself　to　be　stated；　but　only　is　a
subordinate　mode。

Connected　with　this；　there　is　a　similar　method　of　representing　the　universal　content　by　means　of
numbers；　lines　and　geometric　figures。　These　are　figurative；　but　not　concretely　so；　as　in　the　case　of
myths。　Thus　it　may　be　said　that　eternity　is　a　circle；　the　snake　that　bites　its　own　tail。　This　is　only　an
image；　but　Mind　does　not　require　such　a　symbol。　There　are　people　who　value　such　methods　of
representation；　but　these　forms　do　not　go　far。　The　most　abstract　determinations　can　indeed　be　thus
expressed；　but　any　further　progress　brings　about　confusion。　Just　as　the　freemasons　have　symbols
which　are　esteemed　for　their　depth　of　wisdom　…　depth　as　a　brook　is　deep　when　one　cannot　see
the　bottom　…　that　which　is　hidden　very　easily　seems　to　men　deep；　or　as　if　depth　were　concealed
beneath。　But　when　it　is　hidden；　it　may　possibly　prove　to　be　the　case　that　there　is　nothing　behind。
This　is　so　in　freemasonry；　in　which　everything　is　concealed　to　those　outside　and　also　to　many
people　within；　and　where　nothing　remarkable　is　possessed　in　learning　or　in　science；　and　least　of　all
in　Philosophy。　Thought　is；　on　the　contrary；　simply　its　manifestation；　clearness　is　its　nature　and　itself。
The　act　of　manifestation　is　not　a　condition　which　may　be　or　may　not　be　equally；　so　that　thought
may　remain　as　thought　when　it　is　not　manifested；　but　its　manifestation　is　itself；　its　Being。　Numbers；
as　will　be　remarked　in　respect　of　the　Pythagoreans；　are　unsuitable　mediums　for　expressing
thoughts；　thus　monas；　dnas；　trias　are；　with　Pythagoras；　unity；　difference；　and　unity　of　the　unity
and　of　the　difference。　The　two　first　of　the　three　are　certainly　united　by　addition；　this　kind　of　union
is；　however；　the　worst　form　of　unity。　In　Religion　the　three　make　their　appearance　in　a　deeper　sense
as　the　Trinity；　and　in　Philosophy　as　the　Notion；　but　enumeration　forms　a　bad　method　of
expression。　There　is　the　same　objection　to　it　as　would　exist　to　making　the　mensuration　of　space
the　medium　for　expressing　the　absolute。　People　also　quote　the　Philosophy　of　the　Chinese；　of　the
Fo？；　in　which　it　is　said　that　thoughts　are　represented　by　numbers。　Yet　the　Chinese　have　explained
their　symbols　and　hence　have　made　their　meaning　evident。　Universal　simple　abstractions　have　been
present　to　all　people　who　have　arrived　at　any　decree　of　culture。

iii。　We　have　still　to　remark　in　the　third　place；　that　Religion；　as　such；　does　not　merely　form　its
representations　after　the　manner　of　art；　and　also　that　Poetry　likewise　contains　actual　thoughts。　In
the　case　of　the　poets　whose　art　has　speech　as　medium；　we　find　all　through　deep　universal　thought
regarding　reality；　these　are　more　explicitly　expressed　in　the　Indian　Religion；　but　with　the　Indians
everything　is　mixed　up。　Hence　it　is　said　that　such　races　have　also　had　a　Philosophy　proper　to
themselves；　but　the　universal　thoughts　of　interest　in　Indian　books　limit　themselves　to　what　is　most
abstract；　to　the　idea　of　rising　up　and　passing　away；　and　thus　of　making　a　perpetual　round。　The
story　of　the　Phoenix　is　well　known　as　an　example　of　this；　it　is　one　which　took　its　origin　in　the　East。
We　are　able　similarly　to　find　thoughts　about　life　and　death　and　of　the　transition　of　Being　into
passing　away；　from　life　comes　death　and　from　death　comes　life；　even　in　Being；　in　what　is　positive；
the　negation　is　already　present。　The　negative　side　must　indeed　contain　within　it　the　positive；　for　all
change；　all　the　process　of　life　is　founded　on　this。　But　such　reflections　only　occasionally　come　forth；
they　are　not　to　be　taken　as　being　proper　philosophic　utterances。　For　Philosophy　is　only　present
when　thought；　as　such；　is　made　the　absolute　ground　and　root　of　everything　else；　and　in　these
modes　of　representation　this　is　not　so。

Philosophy　does　not　reflect　on　any　particular　thing　or　object　already　existing　as　a　first　substratum；
its　content　is　just　Thought；　universal　thought　which　must　plainly　come　first　of　all；　to　put　it　otherwise；
the　Absolute　must　in　Philosophy　be　in　the　form　of　thought。　In　the　Greek　Religion　we　find　the
thought…determination　〃eternal　necessity；〃　which　means　an　absolute　and　clearly　universal　relation。
But　such　thought　has　other　subjects　besides；　it　only　expresses　a　relation；　the　necessity　to　be　the
true　and　all…embracing　Being。　Thus　neither　must　we　take　this　form　into　our　consideration。　We
might　speak　in　that　way　of　a　philosophy　of　Euripides；　Schiller　or　Goethe。　But　all　such　reflection
respecting；　or　general　modes　of　representing　what　is　true；　the　ends　of　men；　morality　and　so　on；　are
in　part　only　incidentally　set　forth；　and　in　part　they　have　not　reached　the　proper　form　of　thought；
which　implies　that　what　is　so　expressed　must　be　ultimate；　thus　constituting　the　Absolute。

C。　Particular　theories　found　in　Religion。

In　conclusion；　the　philosophy　which　we　find　within　Religion　does　not　concern　us。　We　find　deep；
speculative　thoughts　regarding　the　nature　of　God　not　only　in　the　Indian　Religions；　but　also　in　the
Fathers　and　the　Schoolmen。　In　the　history　of　dogmatism　there　is　a　real　interest　in　becoming
acquainted　with　these　thoughts；　but　they　do　not　belong　to　the　history　of　Philosophy。　Nevertheless
more　notice　must　be　taken　of　the　Schoolmen　than　of　the　Fathers；　for　they　were　certainly　great
philosophers　to　whom　the　culture　of　Christendom　owes　much。　But　their　speculations　belong　in　part
to　other　philosophies　such　as　to　that　of　Plato；　which　must　in　so　far　be　considered　for　themselves；
partly；　too；　they　emanate　from　the　speculative　content　of　Religion　itself　which　already　exists　as
independent　truth　in　the　doctrine　of　the　Church；　and　belong　primarily　to　faith。　Thus　such　modes　of
thought　rest　on　an　hypothesis　and　not　on　Thought　itself；　they　are　not　properly　speaking　themselves
Philosophy　or　thought　which　rests　on　itself；　but　as　ideas　already　firmly　rooted；　they　act　on　its
behalf　either　in　refuting　other　ideas　and　conclusions　or　in　philosophically　vindicating　against　them
their　own　religious　teaching。　Thought　in　this　manner　does　not　represent　and　know　itself　as　the
ultimate　and　absolute　culmination　of　the　content；　or　as　the　inwardly　self…determining　Thought。
Hence；　too；　when　the　Fathers；　seeing　that　the　content　of　the　Christian　Religion　can　only　be
grasped　after　the　speculative　form；　did；　within　the　teaching　of　the　Church；　produce　thoughts　of　a
highly　speculative　nature；　the　ultimate　justification　of　these　was　not　found　in　Thought　as　such；　but　in
the　teaching　of　the　Church。　Philosophic　teaching　here　finds　itself　within　a　strongly　bound　system
and　not　as　thought　which　emanates　freely　from　itself。　Thus　with　the　scholastics；　too；　Thought　does
not　construct　itself　out　of　itself；　but　depends　upon　hypotheses；　and　although　it　ever　rests　more　and
more　upon　itself；　it　never　does　so　in　opposition　to　the　doctrine　of　the　Church。　Both　must　and　do
agree；　since　Thought　has　to　prove　from　itself　what　the　Church　has　already　verified。

c。　Philosophy　proper　distinguished　from　Popular　Philosophy。

Of　the　two　departments　of　knowledge　allied　to　Philosophy　we　found　that　the　one；　that　of　the
special　sciences；　could　not　be　called　a　philosophy　in　that　it；　as　independent　seeing　and　thinking
immersed　in　finite　matter；　and　as　the　active　principle　in　becoming　acquainted　with　the　finite；　was
not　the　content；　but　simply　the　formal　and　subjective　moment。　The　second　sphere；　Religion；　is
deficient　in　that　it　only　had　the　content　or　the　objective　moment　in　common　with　Philosophy。　In　it
independent　thought　was　an　essential　moment；　since　the　subject　had　an　imaginary　or　historical
form。　Philosophy　demands　the　unity　and　intermingling　of　these　two　points　of　view；　it　unites　the
Sunday　of　life　when　man　in　humility　renounces　himself；　and　the　working…day　when　he　stands　up
independently；　is　master　of　himself　and　considers　his　own　interests。　A　third　point　of　view　seems　to
unite　both　elements；　and　that　is　popular　Philosophy。　It　deals　with　universal　objects　and
philosophizes　as　to　God　and　the　world；　and　thought　is　likewise　occupied　in　learning　about　these
matters。　Yet　this　Philosophy　must　also　be　cast　aside。　The　writings　of　Cicero　may　be　put　under　this
category；　they　contain　a　kind　of　philosophy　that　has　its　own　place　and　in　which　excellent　things　are
said。　Cicero　formed　many　experiences　both　in　the　affairs　of　life　and　mind；　and　from　them　and　after
observing　what　takes　place　in　the　world；　he　deduced　the　truth。　He　expresses　himself　with　culture
on　the　concerns　most　important　to　man；　and　hence　his　great　popularity。　Fanatics　and　mystics　may
from　another　point　of　view　be　reckoned　as　in　this　category。　They　give　expression　to　a　deep　sense
of　devotion；　and　have　had　experiences　in　the　higher　regions。　They　are　able　to　express　the　highest
content；　and　the　result　is　attractive。　We　thus　find　the　brightest　gleams　of　thought　in　the　writings　of　a
Pascal　…　as　we　do　in　his　Pensées

But　the　drawback　that　attaches　to　this　Philosophy　is　that　the　ultimate　appeal　…　even　in　modern
times　…　is　made　to　the　fact　that　men　are　constituted　such　as　they　are　by　nature；　and　with　this　Cicero
is　very　free。　Here　the　moral　instinct　comes　into　question；　only　under　the　name　of　feeling；　Religion
now　rests　not　on　what　is　objective　but　on　religious　feeling；　because　the　immediate　consciousness
of　God　by　men　is　its　ultimate　ground。　Cicero　makes　copious　use　of　the　consensus　gentium；　in
more　modern　times　this　appeal　has　been　more　or　less　left　alone；　since　the　individual　subject　has　to
rest　upon　himself。　Feeling　is　first　of　all　laid　hold　of；　then　comes　reasoning　from　what　is　given；　but　in
these　we　can　appeal　to　what　is　immediate　only。　Independent　thought　is　certainly　here　advanced；
the　content　too；　is　taken　from　the　self；　but　we　must　just　as　necessarily　exclude　this　mode　of
thinking　from　Philosophy。　For　the　source　from　which　the　content　is　derived　is　of　the　same
description　as　in　the　other　cases。　Nature　is　the　source　in　finite　sciences；　and　in　Religion　it　is　Spirit；
but　here　the　source　is　in　authority；　the　content　is　given　and　the　act　of　worship　removes　but
momentarily　this　externality。　The　source　of　popular　Philosophy　is　in　the　heart；　impulses　and
capacities；　our　natural　Being；　my　impression　of　what　is　right　and　of　God；　the　content　is　in　a　form
which　is　of　nature　only。　I　certainly　have　everything　in　feeling；　but　the　whole　content　is　also　in
Mythology；　and　yet　in　neither　is　it　so　in　veritable　form。　The　laws　and　doctrines　of　Religion　are　that
in　which　this　content　always　comes　to　consciousness　in　a　more　definite　way；　while　in　feeling　there
still　is　intermingled　the　arbitrary　will　of　that　which　is　subjective。




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

3。　Commencement　of　Philosophy　and　of　its　History。

Now　that　we　have　thus　defined　the　Notion　of　Philosophy　to　be　the　Thought　which；　as　the　universal
content；　is　complete　Being；　it　will　be　shown　in　the　history　of　Philosophy　how　the　determinations　in
this　content　make　their　appearance　little　by　little。　At　first　we　only　ask　where　Philosophy　and　its
History　begin。

a。　Freedom　of　Thought　as　a　first　condition。

The　general　answer　is　in　accordance　with　what　has　bee