《哲学史-philosophy of history(英文版)》philosophy of history(英文版)-第26章

place　in　a　direct；　unopposed；　unhindered　manner。　Between　the　Idea　and　its　realisation　—　the
essential　constitution　of　the　original　germ　and　the　conformity　to　it　of　the　existence　derived　from　it
—　no　disturbing　influence　can　intrude。　But　in　relation　to　Spirit　it　is　quite　otherwise。　The　realisation
of　its　Idea　is　mediated　by　consciousness　and　will；　these　very　faculties　are；　in　the　first　instance；　sunk
in　their　primary　merely　natural　life；　the　first　object　and　goal　of　their　striving　is　the　realisation　of　their
merely　natural　destiny；　—　but　which；　since　it　is　Spirit　that　animates　it；　is　possessed　of　vast
attractions　and　displays　great　power　and　＇moral＇　richness。　Thus　Spirit　is　at　war　with　itself　；　it　has　to
overe　itself　as　its　most　formidable　obstacle。　That　development　which　in　the　sphere　of　Nature　is
a　peaceful　growth；　is　in　that　of　Spirit；　a　severe；　a　mighty　conflict　with　itself。　What　Spirit　really
strives　for　is　the　realisation　of　its　Ideal　being；　but　in　doing　so；　it　hides　that　goal　from　its　own　vision；
and　is　proud　and　well　satisfied　in　this　alienation　from　it。　
§　62
Its　expansion；　therefore；　does　not　present　the　harmless　tranquillity　of　mere　growth；　as　does　that　of
organic　life；　but　a　stern　reluctant　working　against　itself。　It　exhibits；　moreover；　not　the　mere　formal
conception　of　development；　but　the　attainment　of　a　definite　result。　The　goal　of　attainment　we
determined　at　the　outset：　it　is　Spirit　in　its　pleteness；　in　its　essential　nature；　i。e。；　Freedom。　This
is　the　fundamental　object；　and　therefore　also　the　leading　principle　of　the　development；　—　that
whereby　it　receives　meaning　and　importance　（as　in　the　Roman　history；　Rome　is　the　object　—
consequently　that　which　directs　our　consideration　of　the　facts　related）；　as；　conversely；　the
phenomena　of　the　process　have　resulted　from　this　principle　alone；　and　only　as　referred　to　it；
possess　a　sense　and　value。　There　are　many　considerable　periods　in　History　in　which　this
development　seems　to　have　been　intermitted；　in　which　we　might　rather　say；　the　whole　enormous
gain　of　previous　culture　appears　to　have　been　entirely　lost；　after　which；　unhappily；　a　new
mencement　has　been　necessary；　made　in　the　hope　of　recovering　—　by　the　assistance　of　some
remains　saved　from　the　wreck　of　a　former　civilisation　and　by　dint　of　a　renewed　incalculable
expenditure　of　strength　and　time；　—　one　of　the　regions　which　had　been　an　ancient　possession　of
that　civilisation。　We　behold　also　continued　processes　of　growth；　structures　and　systems　of　culture
in　particular　spheres；　rich　in　kind；　and　well　developed　in　every　direction。　The　merely　formal　and
indeterminate　view　of　development　in　general　can　neither　assign　to　one　form　of　expansion
superiority　over　the　other；　nor　render　prehensible　the　object　of　that　decay　of　older　periods　of
growth；　but　must　regard　such　occurrences；　—　or；　to　speak　more　particularly；　the　retrocessions
they　exhibit；　—　as　external　contingencies；　and　can　only　judge　of　particular　modes　of　development
from　indeterminate　points　of　view；　which　—　since　the　development　as　such；　is　all　in　all　—　are
relative　and　not　absolute　goals　of　attainment。　
§　63
Universal　History　exhibits　the　gradation　in　the　development　of　that　principle　whose　substantial
purport　is　the　consciousness　of　Freedom。　The　analysis　of　the　successive　grades；　in　their　abstract
form；　belongs　to　Logic；　in　their　concrete　aspect　to　the　Philosophy　of　Spirit。　Here　it　is　sufficient　to
state　that　the　first　step　in　the　process　presents　that　immersion　of　Spirit　in　Nature　which　has　been
already　referred　to；　the　second　shows　it　as　advancing　to　the　consciousness　of　its　freedom。　But　this
initial　separation　from　Nature　is　imperfect　and　partial；　since　it　is　derived　immediately　from　the
merely　natural　state；　is　consequently　related　to　it；　and　is　still　encumbered　with　it　as　an　essentially
connected　element。　The　third　step　is　the　elevation　of　the　soul　from　this　still　limited　and　special　form
of　freedom　to　its　pure　universal　form；　that　state　in　which　the　spiritual　essence　attains　the
consciousness　and　feeling　of　itself。　These　grades　are　the　ground…principles　of　the　general　process；
but　how　each　of　them　on　the　other　hand　involves　within　itself　a　process　of　formation；　—
constituting　the　links　in　a　dialectic　of　transition；　—　to　particularise　this　may　be　reserved　for　the
sequel。　
§　64
Here　we　have　only　to　indicate　that　Spirit　begins　with　a　germ　of　infinite　possibility；　but　only
possibility；　—　containing　its　substantial　existence　in　an　undeveloped　form；　as　the　object　and　goal
which　it　reaches　only　in　its　resultant　—　full　reality。　In　actual　existence　Progress　appears　as　an
advancing　from　the　imperfect　to　the　more　perfect；　but　the　former　must　not　be　understood
abstractly　as　only　the　imperfect；　but　as　something　which　involves　the　very　opposite　of　itself　—　the
so…called　perfect　—　as　a　germ　or　impulse。　So　—　reflectively；　at　least　…　possibility　points　to
something　destined　to　bee　actual；　the　Aristotelian　is　also　potentia；　power　and　might。　Thus　the
Imperfect；　as　involving　its　opposite；　is　a　contradiction；　which　certainly　exists；　but　which　is
continually　annulled　and　solved；　the　instinctive　movement　—　the　inherent　impulse　in　the　life　of　the
soul　—　to　break　through　the　rind　of　mere　nature；　sensuousness；　and　that　which　is　alien　to　it；　and　to
attain　to　the　light　of　consciousness；　i。e。　to　itself。　
§　65
We　have　already　made　the　remark　how　the　mencement　of　the　history　of　Spirit　must　be
conceived　so　as　to　be　in　harmony　with　its　Idea　—　in　its　bearing　on　the　representations　that　have
been　made　of　a　primitive　“natural　condition；”　in　which　freedom　and　justice　are　supposed　to
exist；　or　to　have　existed。　This　was；　however；　nothing　more　than　an　assumption　of　historical
existence；　conceived　in　the　twilight　of　theorising　reflection。　A　pretension　of　quite　another　order；　—
not　a　mere　inference　of　reasoning；　but　making　the　claim　of　historical　fact；　and　that　supernaturally
confirmed；　—　is　put　forth　in　connection　with　a　different　view　that　is　now　widely