第一小说网

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第14部分（第1页）

waters；　are　their　country；　their　fatherland；　their　outward　material　property；　the　history　of　this

State；　their　deeds；　what　their　ancestors　have　produced；　belongs　to　them　and　lives　in　their

memory。　All　is　their　possession；　just　as　they　are　possessed　by　it；　for　it　constitutes　their　existence；

their　being。

§　57

Their　imagination　is　occupied　with　the　ideas　thus　presented；　while　the　adoption　of　these　laws；　and

of　a　fatherland　so　conditioned　is　the　expression　of　their　will。　It　is　this　matured　totality　which　thus

constitutes　one　Being；　the　spirit　of　one　People。　To　it　the　individual　members　belong；　each　unit　is

the　Son　of　his　Nation；　and　at　the　same　time　…　in　as　far　as　the　State　to　which　he　belongs　is

undergoing　development　…　the　Son　of　his　Age。　None　remains　behind　it；　still　less　advances　beyond

it。　This　spiritual　Being　（the　Spirit　of　his　Time）　is　his；　he　is　a　representative　of　it；　it　is　that　in　which　he

originated；　and　in　which　he　lives。　Among　the　Athenians　the　word　Athens　had　a　double　import；

suggesting　primarily；　a　plex　of　Political　institutions；　but　no　less；　in　the　second　place；　that

Goddess　who　represented　the　Spirit　of　the　People　and　its　unity。　This　Spirit　of　a　People　is　a

determinate　and　particular　Spirit；　and　is；　as　just　stated；　further　modified　by　the　degree　of　its

historical　development。　This　Spirit；　then；　constitutes　the　basis　and　substance　of　those　other　forms

of　a　nations　consciousness；　which　have　been　noticed。　For　Spirit　in　its　self…consciousness　must

bee　a　object　of　contemplation　to　itself；　and　objectivity　involves；　in　the　first　instance；　the　rise　of

differences　which　make　up　a　total　of　distinct　spheres　of　objective　spirit；　in　the　same　way　as　the

Soul　exists　only　as　the　plex　of　its　faculties；　which　in　their　form　of　concentration　in　a　simple

unity　produce　that　Soul。　It　is　thus　One　Individuality　which；　presented　in　its　essence　as　God；　is

honoured　and　enjoyed　in　Religion；　which　is　exhibited　as　an　object　of　sensuous　contemplation　in

Art；　and　is　apprehended　as　an　intellectual　conception　in　Philosophy。　In　virtue　of　the　original

identity　of　their　essence；　purport；　and　object；　these　various　forms　are　inseparably　united　with　the

Spirit　of　the　State。　Only　in　connection　with　this　particular　religion　can　this　particular　political

constitution　exist；　just　as　in　such　or　such　a　State；　such　or　such　a　Philosophy　or　order　of　Art。

§　58

The　remark　next　in　order　is；　that　each　particular　National　genius　is　to　be　treated　as　only　One

Individual　in　the　process　of　Universal　History。　For　that　history　is　the　exhibition　of　the　divine；

absolute　development　of　Spirit　in　its　highest　forms；　…　that　gradation　by　which　it　attains　its　truth　and

consciousness　of　itself。　The　forms　which　these　grades　of　progress　assume　are　the　characteristic