第一小说网

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第4部分（第2页）

of　acquisitions；　that　should　be　presupposed　in　every　case　as　possessing　the　mind　of　the　learner　in

the　study　of　science。　If　the　clear　idea　of　Reason　is　not　already　developed　in　our　minds；　in　beginning

the　study　of　Universal　History；　we　should　at　least　leave　the　firm；　unconquerable　faith　that　Reason

does　exist　there；　and　that　the　World　of　intelligence　and　conscious　volition　is　not　abandoned　to

chance；　but　must　show　itself　in　the　light　of　the　self…cognisant　Idea。　Yet　I　am　not　obliged　to　make

any　such　preliminary　demand　upon　your　faith。　What　I　have　said　thus　provisionally；　and　what　I　shall

have　further　to　say；　is；　even　in　reference　to　our　branch　of　science；　not　to　be　regarded　as

hypothetical；　but　as　a　summary　view　of　the　whole；　the　result　of　the　investigation　we　are　about　to

pursue；　a　result　which　happens　to　be　known　to　me；　because　I　have　traversed　the　entire　field。　It　is

only　an　inference　from　the　history　of　the　World；　that　its　development　has　been　a　rational　process；

that　the　history　in　question　has　constituted　the　rational　necessary　course　of　the　World　Spirit　—　that

Spirit　whose　nature　is　always　one　and　the　same；　but　which　unfolds　this　its　one　nature　in　the

phenomena　of　the　Worlds　existence。　This　must；　as　before　stated；　present　itself　as　the　ultimate

result　of　History。　But　we　have　to　take　the　latter　as　it　is。　We　must　proceed　historically　—

empirically。　Among　other　precautions　we　must　take　care　not　to　be　misled　by　professed　historians

who　（especially　among　the　Germans；　and　enjoying　a　considerable　authority）；　are　chargeable　with

the　very　procedure　of　which　they　accuse　the　Philosopher　—　introducing　à　priori　inventions　of

their　own　into　the　records　of　the　Past。　It　is；　for　example；　a　widely　current　fiction；　that　there　was　an

original　primeval　people；　taught　immediately　by　God；　endowed　with　perfect　insight　and　wisdom；

possessing　a　thorough　knowledge　of　all　natural　laws　and　spiritual　truth；　that　there　have　been　such

or　such　sacerdotal　peoples；　or；　to　mention　a　more　specific　averment；　that　there　was　a　Roman

Epos；　from　which　the　Roman　historians　derived　the　early　annals　of　their　city；　&c。　Authorities　of

this　kind　we　leave　to　those　talented　historians　by　profession；　among　whom　（in　Germany　at　least）

their　use　is　not　unmon。　—　We　might　then　announce　it　as　the　first　condition　to　be　observed；　that

we　should　faithfully　adopt　all　that　is　historical。　But　in　such　general　expressions　themselves；　as

“faithfully”　and　“adopt；”　lies　the　ambiguity。　Even　the　ordinary；　the　“impartial”　historiographer；

who　believes　and　professes　that　he　maintains　a　simply　receptive　attitude；　surrendering　himself　only

to　the　data　supplied　him　—　is　by　no　means　passive　as　regards　the　exercise　of　his　thinking　powers。

He　brings　his　categories　with　him；　and　sees　the　phenomena　presented　to　his　mental　vision；

exclusively　through　these　media。　And；　especially　in　all　that　pretends　to　the　name　of　science；　it　is

indispensable　that　Reason　should　not　sleep　—　that　reflection　should　be　in　full　play。　To　him　who