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 42-43 )

page 42-43

1. God does not wish to have narrow-minded and empty-headed children

2. History is the unfolding of Gold's nature in a particular, determinate element, so that only a determinate form of knowledge is possible and appropriate to it.

3. The aim of human cognition is to undetstand that the intentions of eternal wisdom are accomplished not olny in the natural world, but also in the realm of the [spirit] which is actively present in the world.

4. It should enable us to comprehend all the ills of the world, including the existence of EVIL, so that the thinking spirit may be reconciled with the negative aspects of existence; and it is in world history that we encounter the sum total of concrete EVIL.

page 43

5. A reconcilaiation of the kind just described can only be achived thriough a knowledge of the affirmative side of history, in which the negative is reduced to a subordinate position and transcended altogether.

6. In other words, we must first of all know what the ULTIMATE design of the world really is, and secondly, we must see that this design has been REALISED and that EVIL has not been able to maintain a position of equality beside it.

7. Reason in its DETERMINATE form is the true substance; and the rest -- if we confine ourselves to reason in general -- is mere WORDS.