李榮添 : 歷史之理性 -- 黑格爾歷史哲學導論述析 ( Hoffmeister, Nisbet)

李榮添 : 歷史之理性 -- 黑格爾歷史哲學導論述析 ( Hoffmeister, Nisbet)
excerpted from Lectures on the Philosophy of World History : Introduction : Reason in History. Hoffmeister ed. tr. by Nisbet.
( Nisbet, page 50 )


1. Every individual has an example even closer to hand in the SHAPE of his OWN person.

2. Man can only fulfil himself through education and discipline; his immediate existence contains MERELY the possibility of self-realisation of ( ie. BECOMING ration and free ) and simply IMPOSES on him a vocation and obligation which he MUST himself fulfil.

3. Man, on the other hand, must realise his POTENTIAL through his OWN efforts, and must first acquire everything for himself, precisely because he is a spiritual being; in short, he must THROW OFF all that is natural in him. Spirit, therefore, is the PRODUCT of itself.