history of philosophy-第4节

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the　business　of　politics　and　the　other　interests　of　everyday　life；　we　may　trust　that　Science；　the　free
rational　world　of　mind；　may　again　flourish。

We　shall　see　in　the　History　of　Philosophy　that　in　other　European　countries　in　which　the　sciences
and　the　cultivation　of　the　understanding　have　been　prosecuted　with　zeal　and　with　respect；
Philosophy；　excepting　in　name；　has　sunk　even　from　memory；　and　that　it　is　in　the　German　nation
that　it　has　been　retained　as　a　peculiar　possession。　We　have　received　the　higher　call　of　Nature　to　be
the　conservers　of　this　holy　flame；　just　as　the　Eumolpidae　in　Athens　had　the　conservation　of　the
Eleusinian　mysteries；　the　inhabitants　of　the　island　of　Samothrace　the　preservation　and　maintenance
of　a　higher　divine　service；　and　as；　earlier　still；　the　World…spirit　reserved　to　the　Jewish　nation　the
highest　consciousness　that　it　should　once　more　rise　from　thence　as　the　new　spiritual　force。　We
have　already　got　so　far；　and　have　attained　to　a　seriousness　so　much　greater　and　a　consciousness
so　much　deeper；　that　for　us　ideas　and　that　which　our　reason　justifies；　can　alone　have　weight；　to
speak　more　plainly；　the　Prussian　State　is　a　State　constituted　on　principles　of　intelligence。　But　the
needs　of　the　time　and　the　interests　of　the　events　in　the　world　already　mentioned；　have　repressed　a
real　and　earnest　effort　after　Philosophy　and　driven　hence　any　general　attention　to　it。　It　has　thus
happened　that　because　vigorous　natures　turned　to　the　practical；　insipidity　and　dullness
appropriated　to　themselves　the　pre…eminence　in　Philosophy　and　flourished　there。　It　may　indeed　be
said　that　since　Philosophy　began　to　take　a　place　in　Germany；　it　has　never　looked　so　badly　as　at
the　present　time　—　never　have　emptiness　and　shallowness　overlaid　it　so　completely；　and　never
have　they　spoken　and　acted　with　such　arrogance；　as　though　all　power　were　in　their　hands！　To
combat　the　shallowness；　to　strive　with　German　earnestness　and　honesty；　to　draw　Philosophy　out
of　the　solitude　into　which　it　has　wandered　—　to　do　such　work　as　this　we　may　hope　that　we　are
called　by　the　higher　spirit　of　our　time。　Let　us　together　greet　the　dawn　of　a　better　time　in　which　the
spirit；　hitherto　a　prey　to　externalities；　may　return　within　itself；　come　to　itself　again；　and　win　space
and　room　for　a　kingdom　of　its　own；　where　true　minds　will　rise　above　the　interests　of　the　moment；
and　obtain　the　power　to　receive　the　true；　eternal　and　divine；　the　power　to　consider　and　to　grasp
the　highest。

We　elders；　who　in　the　storms　of　the　age　have　ripened　into　men；　may　think　you　happy　whose　youth
falls　in　the　day　in　which　you　may　devote　the　same　undisturbed　to　Science　and　to　Truth。　I　have
dedicated　my　life　to　Science；　and　it　is　a　true　joy　to　me　to　find　myself　again　in　this　place　where　I
may；　in　a　higher　measure　and　more　extensive　circle；　work　with　others　in　the　interest　of　the　higher
sciences；　and　help　to　direct　your　way　therein。　I　hope　that　I　may　succeed　in　deserving　and　obtaining
your　confidence。　But　in　the　first　place；　I　can　ask　nothing　of　you　but　to　bring　with　you；　above　all；　a
trust　in　science　and　a　trust　in　yourselves。　The　love　of　truth；　faith　in　the　power　of　mind；　is　the　first
condition　in　Philosophy。　Man；　because　he　is　Mind；　should　and　must　deem　himself　worthy　of　the
highest；　he　cannot　think　too　highly　of　the　greatness　and　the　power　of　his　mind；　and；　with　this　belief；
nothing　will　be　so　difficult　and　hard　that　it　will　not　reveal　itself　to　him。　The　Being　of　the　universe；　at
first　hidden　and　concealed；　has　no　power　which　can　offer　resistance　to　the　search　for　knowledge；
it　has　to　lay　itself　open　before　the　seeker　—　to　set　before　his　eyes　and　give　for　his　enjoyment；　its
riches　and　its　depths。




Prefatory　Note

IN　the　History　of　Philosophy　the　observation　is　immediately　forced　upon　us　that　it　certainly
presents　great　interest　if　its　subject　is　regarded　from　a　favourable　point　of　view；　but　that　it　would
still　possess　interest　even　if　its　end　were　regarded　as　opposite　to　what　it　is。　Indeed；　this　interest
may　seem　to　increase　in　the　degree　in　which　the　ordinary　conception　of　Philosophy；　and　of　the　end
which　its　history　serves；　is　reversed；　for　from　the　History　of　Philosophy　a　proof　of　the　futility　of　the
science　is　mainly　derived。

The　demand　that　a　history；　whatever　the　subject　may　be；　should　state　the　facts　without　prejudice
and　without　any　particular　object　or　end　to　be　gained　by　its　means；　must　be　regarded　as　a　fair　one。
But　with　a　commonplace　demand　like　this；　we　do　not　get　far；　for　the　history　of　a　subject　is
necessarily　intimately　connected　with　the　conception　which　is　formed　of　it。　In　accordance　with　this
what　is　important　in　it　is　determined；　and　the　relation　of　the　events　to　the　end　regulated　the
selection　of　facts　to　be　recorded；　the　mode　of　comprehending　them；　and　the　point　of　view　under
which　they　are　regarded。　It　may　happen　from　the　ideas　formed　of　what　a　State　really　is；　that　a
reader　of　the　political　history　of　a　country　may　find　therein　nothing　of　what　he　looks　for。　Still　more
may　this　be　the　case　in　the　history　of　Philosophy；　and　representations　of　this　history　may　be
instanced　in　which　everything；　excepting　what　was　supposed　to　be　Philosophy；　appears　to　be
found。

In　other　histories　we　have　a　clear　conception　of　their　subjects；　at　least　so　far　as　their　principal
points　are　concerned；　we　know　whether　they　concern　a　particular　land；　people　or　race；　or
whether　their　subject　is　the　science　of　mathematics；　physics；　&c。；　or　an　art；　such　as　painting。　The
science　of　Philosophy　has；　however；　this　distinguishing　feature；　and；　if　you　will；　this　disadvantage
as　compared　with　other　sciences；　that　we　find　the　most　varied　points　of　view　as　regards　its
Notion；　and　regarding　that　which　it　ought　to　and　can　accomplish。　If　this　first　assumption；　the
conception　of　the　subject　of　the　history；　is　not　established；　the　history　itself　is　necessarily　made
vacillating；　and　it　only　obtains　consistency　when　it　sets　forth　a　definite　conception　but　then　in　view
of　the　various　ways　of　regarding　its　subject；　it　easily　draws　upon　itself　the　reproach　of
one…sidedness。

That　drawback　relates；　however；　only　to　an　external　consideration　of　this　narrative；　there　is
another　and　greater　disadvantage　allied　to　it。　If　there　are　different　Notions　of　the　science　of
Philosophy；　it　is　the　true　Notion　alone　that　puts　us　in　a　position　to　understand　the　writings　of
philosophers　who　have　worked　in　the　knowledge　of　it。　For　in　thought；　and　particularly　in
speculative　thought；　comprehension　means　something　quite　different　from　understanding　the
grammatical　sense　of　the　words　alone；　and　also　from　understanding　them　in　the　region　of　ordinary
conception　only。　Hence　we　may　possess　a　knowledge　of　the　assertions；　propositions；　or　of　the
opinions　of　philosophers；　we　may　have　occupied　ourselves　largely　with　the　grounds　of　and
deductions　from　these　opinions；　and　the　main　point　in　all　that　we　have　done　may　be　wanting…the
comprehension　of　the　propositions。　There　is　hence　no　lack　of　voluminous　and　even　learned
histories　of　Philosophy　in　which　the　knowledge　of　the　matter　itself　about　which　so　much　ado　has
been　made；　is　absent。　The　authors　of　such　histories　may　be　compared　to　animals　which　have
listened　to　all　the　tones　in　some　music；　but　to　whose　senses　the　unison；　the　harmony　of　their　tones；
has　not　penetrated。

The　circumstance　mentioned　makes　it　in　no　science　so　necessary　as　in　the　history　of　Philosophy　to
commence　with　an　Introduction；　and　in　it　correctly　to　define；　in　the　first　place；　the　subject　of　the
history　about　to　be　related。　For　it　may　be　said；　How　should　we　begin　to　treat　a　subject；　the　name
of　which　is　certainly　mentioned　often　enough；　but　of　whose　nature　we　as　yet　know　nothing？　In
treating　the　history　of　Philosophy　thus；　we　could　have　no　other　guidance　than　that　of　seeking　out
and　taking　up　whatever　has　received　the　name　of　Philosophy；　anywhere　or　any　time。　But　in　fact；
when　the　Notion　of　Philosophy　is　established；　not　arbitrarily　but　in　a　scientific　way；　such　treatment
becomes　the　science　of　Philosophy　itself。　For　in　this　science　the　peculiar　characteristic　is　that　its
Notion　forms　the　beginning　in　appearance　merely；　and　it　is　only　the　whole　treatment　of　the　science
that　is　the　proof；　and　indeed　we　may　say　the　finding　of　its　Notion；　and　this　is　really　a　result　of　that
treatment。

In　this　Introduction　the　Notion　of　the　science　of　Philosophy；　of　the　subject　of　its　history；　has　thus
likewise　to　be　set　forth。　At　the　same　time；　though　this　Introduction　professes　to　relate　to　the　history
of　Philosophy　only；　what　has　just　been　said　of　Philosophy　on　the　whole；　also　holds　good。　What
can　be　said　in　this　Introduction　is　not　so　much　something　which　may　be　stated　beforehand；　as　what
can　be　justified　or　proved　in　the　treatment　of　the　history。　These　preparatory　explanations　are　for
this　reason　only；　not　to　be　placed　in　the　category　of　arbitrary　assumptions。　But　to　begin　with
stating　what　in　their　justification　are　really　results；　can　only　have　the　interest　which　may　be
possessed　by　a　summary；　given　in　advance；　of　the　most　general　contents　of　a　science。　It　must
serve　to　set　aside　many　questions　and　demands　which　might；　from　our　ordinary