history of philosophy-第34章

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bestowed　on　it　throughout　the　Middle　Ages；　the　opposition　was　attacked　on　all　quarters　and　in　the
end　overcome。　But　since　the　relation　of　mankind　to　the　divine　life　exists　upon　earth；　this　conquest
at　first　presented　the　appearance　of　bringing　with　it　the　destruction　of　the　church　and　of　the　eternal
through　the　sensuous　desires　of　man。　The　eternal　truth　was　likewise　grafted　upon　the　dry；　formal
understanding；　so　that　we　might　say　that　the　separation　of　self…consciousness　has　in　itself
disappeared；　and　thereby　a　possibility　has　been　given　of　obtaining　reconciliation。　But　because　this
implicit　union　of　the　Beyond　and　the　Here　was　of　so　unsatisfactory　a　nature　that　the　better　feelings
were　aroused　and　forced　to　turn　against　it；　the　Reformation　made　its　appearance；　partly；　no　doubt；
as　a　separation　from　the　Catholic　Church；　but　partly　as　a　reformation　from　within。　There　is　a
mistaken　idea　that　the　Reformation　only　effected　a　separation　from　the　Catholic　Church；　Luther
just　as　truly　reformed　the　Catholic　Church；　the　corruption　of　which　one　learns　from　his　writings；
and　from　the　reports　of　the　emperors　and　of　the　empire　to　the　Pope；　if　further　evidence　be
required；　we　need　only　read　the　accounts　given　even　by　the　Catholic　bishops；　the　Fathers　of　the
councils　at　Constance；　Basle；　&c。；　of　the　condition　of　the　Catholic　priesthood　and　of　the　Roman
Court。　The　principle　of　the　inward　reconciliation　of　spirit；　which　was　in　itself　the　very　Idea　of
Christianity；　was　thus　again　estranged；　and　appeared　as　a　condition　of　external；　unreconciled
alienation　and　discord；　this　gives　us　an　example　of　the　slow　operation　of　the　world…spirit　in
overcoming　this　externality。　It　eats　away　the　inward　substance；　but　the　appearance；　the　outward
form；　still　remains；　at　the　end；　however；　it　is　an　empty　shell；　the　new　form　breaks　forth。　In　such
times　this　spirit　appears　as　if　it　…　having　so　far　proceeded　in　its　development　at　a　snail's　pace；　and
having　even　retrograded　and　become　estranged　from　itself　…　had　suddenly　adopted　seven…leagued
boots。

Since　thus　the　reconciliation　of　self…consciousness　with　the　present　is　implicitly　accomplished；　man
has　attained　to　confidence　in　himself　and　in　his　thought；　in　sensuous　nature　outside　of　and　within
him；　he　has　discovered　an　interest　and　pleasure　in　making　discoveries　both　in　nature　and　the　arts。
In　the　affairs　of　this　world　the　understanding　developed；　man　became　conscious　of　his　will　and　his
achievements；　took　pleasure　in　the　earth　and　its　soil；　as　also　in　his　occupations；　because　right　and
understanding　were　there　present。　With　the　discovery　of　gunpowder　the　individual　passion　of
battle　was　lost。　The　romantic　impulse　towards　a　casual　kind　of　bravery　passed　into　other
adventures；　not　of　hate　or　revenge；　or　the　so…called　deliverance　from　what　men　considered　the
wrongs　of　innocence；　but　more　harmless　adventures；　the　exploration　of　the　earth；　or　the　discovery
of　the　passage　to　the　East　Indies。　America　was　discovered；　its　treasures　and　people　…　nature；　man
himself；　navigation　was　the　higher　romance　of　commerce。　The　present　world　was　again　present　to
man　as　worthy　of　the　interests　of　mind；　thinking　mind　was　again　capable　of　action。　Now　the
Reformation　of　Luther　had　inevitably　to　come　…　the　appeal　to　the　sensus　communis　which　does
not　recognize　the　authority　of　the　Fathers　or　of　Aristotle；　but　only　the　inward　personal　spirit　which
quickens　and　animates；　in　contradistinction　to　works。　In　this　way　the　Church　lost　her　power
against　it；　for　her　principle　was　within　it　and　no　longer　lacking　to　it。　To　the　finite　and　present　due
honour　is　accorded；　from　this　honour　the　work　of　science　proceeds。　We　thus　see　that　the　finite；
the　inward　and　outward　present；　becomes　a　matter　of　experience；　and　through　the　understanding
is　elevated　into　universality；　men　desire　to　understand　laws　and　forces；　i。e。；　to　transform　the
individual　of　perceptions　into　the　form　of　universality。　Worldly　matters　demand　to　be　judged　of　in　a
worldly　way；　the　judge　is　thinking　understanding。　The　other　side　is　that　the　eternal；　which　is　in　and
for　itself　true；　is　also　known　and　comprehended　through　the　pure　heart　itself；　the　individual　mind
appropriates　to　itself　the　eternal。　This　is　the　Lutheran　faith　without　any　other　accessories　…　works；
as　they　were　called。　Everything　had　value　only　as　it　was　grasped　by　the　heart；　and　not　as　a　mere
thing。　The　content　ceases　to　be　an　objective　thing；　God　is　thus　in　spirit　alone；　He　is　not　a　beyond
but　the　truest　reality　of　the　individual。　

Pure　thought　is　likewise　one　form　of　inwardness；　it　also　approaches　absolute　existence　and　finds
itself　justified　in　apprehending　the　same。　The　philosophy　of　modern　times　proceeds　from　the
principle　which　ancient　philosophy　had　reached；　the　standpoint　of　actual　self…consciousness　…　it　has
as　principle　the　spirit　that　is　present　to　itself；　it　brings　the　standpoint　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the
diversity　between　what　is　thought　and　the　existent　universe；　into　opposition；　and　it　has　to　do　with
the　dissolution　of　this　game　opposition。　The　main　interest　hence　is；　not　so　much　the　thinking　of　the
objects　in　their　truth；　as　the　thinking　and　understanding　of　the　objects；　the　thinking　this　unity　itself；
which　is　really　the　being　conscious　of　a　pre…supposed　object。　The　getting　rid　of　the　formal　culture
of　the　logical　understanding　and　the　monstrosities　of　which　it　was　composed；　was　more　essential
than　the　extension　of　it：　investigation　in　such　a　case　becomes　dissipated　and　diffused；　and　passes
into　the　false　infinite。　The　general　points　of　view　which　in　modern　philosophy　we　reach　are　hence
somewhat　as　follows　：　—　

1。　The　concrete　form　of　thought　which　we　have　here　to　consider　on　its　own　account；　really
appears　as　subjective　with　the　reflection　of　implicitude；　so　that　this　has　an　antithesis　in　existence；
and　the　interest　is　then　altogether　found　in　grasping　the　reconciliation　of　this　opposition　in　its　highest
existence；　i。e。；　in　the　most　abstract　extremes。　This　highest　severance　is　the　opposition　between
thought　and　Being；　the　comprehending　of　whose　unity　from　this　time　forward　constitutes　the
interest　of　all　philosophies。　Here　thought　is　more　independent；　and　thus　we　now　abandon　its　unity
with　theology；　it　separates　itself　therefrom；　just　as　with　the　Greeks　it　separated　itself　from
mythology；　the　popular　religion；　and　did　not　until　the　time　of　the　Alexandrians　seek　out　these　forms
again　and　fill　the　mythological　conceptions　with　the　form　of　thought。　The　bond　remains；　but　for　this
reason　it　is　clearly　implicit：　theology　throughout　is　merely　what　philosophy　is；　for　this　last　is　simply
thought　respecting　it。　It　does　not　help　theology　to　strive　against　philosophy；　or　to　say　that　it　wishes
to　know　nothing　about　it；　and　that　philosophic　maxims　are　thus　to　be　set　aside。　It　has　always　to　do
with　the　thought　that　it　brings　along　with　it；　and　these　its　subjective　conceptions；　its　home　and
private　metaphysics；　are　thus　frequently　a　quite　uncultured；　uncritical　thought　…　the　thought　of　the
street。　Theme　general　conceptions　are；　indeed；　connected　with　particular　subjective　conviction；
and　this　last　is　said　to　prove　the　Christian　content　to　be　true　in　a　sense　all　its　own；　but　theme
thoughts　which　constitute　the　criterion　are　merely　the　reflections　and　opinions　which　float　about　the
surface　of　the　time。　Thus；　when　thought　comes　forth　on　its　own　account；　we　thereby　separate
ourselves　from　theology；　we　shall；　however；　consider　one　other　in　whom　both　are　still　in　unity。　This
individual　is　Jacob　Boehme；　for　since　mind　now　moves　in　its　own　domains；　it　is　found　partly　in　the
natural　and　finite　world；　and　partly　in　the　inward；　and　this　at　first　is　the　Christian。

While　earlier　than　this；　moreover；　the　spirit；　distracted　by　outward　things；　had　to　make　its　influence
felt　in　religion　and　in　the　secular　life；　and　came　to　be　known　in　the　popular　philosophy　so…called；　it
was　only　in　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries　that　the　genuine　Philosophy　re…appeared；
which　seeks　to　grasp　the　truth　as　truth　because　man　in　thought　is　infinitely　free　to　comprehend
himself　and　nature；　and　along　with　that　seeks　to　understand　the　present　of　rationality；　reality；
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