多多读书

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第14部分（第4页）

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　feeli