〃National Spirits〃 of History; the peculiar tenor of their moral life; of their Government; their Art;
Religion; and Science。 To realise these grades is the boundless impulse of the World…Spirit … the
goal of its irresistible urging; for this division into organic members; and the full development of
each; is its Idea。 … Universal History is exclusively occupied with showing how Spirit es to a
recognition and adoption of the Truth: the dawn of knowledge appears; it begins to discover
salient principles; and at last it arrives at full consciousness。
§ 59
Having; therefore; learned the abstract characteristics of the nature of Spirit; the means which it
uses to realise its Idea; and the shape assumed by it in its plete realisation in phenomenal
existence … namely; the State … nothing further remains for this introductory section to contemplate
but 。。。
III。 Philosophic History
iii。 The course of the Worlds History
§ 60
The mutations which history presents have been long characterised in the general; as an advance
to something better; more perfect。 The changes that take place in Nature — how infinitely manifold
soever they may be — exhibit only a perpetually self…repeating cycle; in Nature there happens
“nothing new under the sun;” and the multiform play of its phenomena so far induces a feeling of
ennui; only in those changes which take place in the region of Spirit does anything new arise。 This
peculiarity in the world of mind has indicated in the case of man an altogether different destiny
from that of merely natural objects — in which we find always one and the same stable character;
to which all change reverts; — namely; a real capacity for change; and that for the; better; — an
impulse of perfectibility。 This principle; which reduces change itself under a law; has met with an
unfavourable reception from religions — such as the Catholic — and from States claiming as their
just right a stereotyped; or at least a stable position。 If the mutability of worldly things in general —
political constitutions; for instance — is conceded; either Religion (as the Religion of Truth) is
absolutely excepted; or the difficulty escaped by ascribing changes; revolutions; and abrogations
of immaculate theories and institutions; to accidents or imprudence; — but principally to the levity
and evil passions of man。 The principle of Perfectibility indeed is almost as indefinite a term as
mutability in general; it is without scope or goal; and has no standard by which to estimate the
changes in question: the improved; more perfect; state of things towards which it professedly tends
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