2
;urpassesall mortals
r human creature on
inal justice; He, the
rf the firmament. A
r an idea that he is a
human shape.In his
:lusion of mind, will
reart to that man's
vise, hardly could it
:tion of a more un-
EDIFICES
GORGEOUS
G. W. F. Hegel
':i
1:
of History (1837),concludedthatreason(the
G. \y{.F.Hegel,in hisPhilosophy
cuorldspirit, God) found its highestmanifestationin the Germanicworld,
nations),including
ciuilisations,
empires(cwhures,
wbere'All arefree'.Preuiows
were thereforeby
and
Roman,
the Chinese,Indian, Persian,Egyptian,Greek
definition inferior, imperfectmanifestationsof the world spirit. In particwlar,
the two great oriental empires,the Chineseand the Indian, were assumedto
later associatedin the Europeanmind with the
displayall tbe characteristics
orient: irrationality, immutability, despotism,cbildishness,sensuality,femininity, capriciousness,backwardness,crweby and barbarism. In China, Hegel
'in
belieued,the patriarchalprinciplerwleda people a condition of nonage',
while in India therepreuaileda'wniuersalpantheism',inspirednot by thought
'flower-life',
but by the imagination.TheIndian cuorlddisplayedthe beautyof a
'Human
but shoulduteapproachit moreclosely,and examineit in the light of
Dignity' and'Freedom',we wowldubimatelyfind it wnworthyin eueryrespect.
In the geographical survey, the course of the l7orld's History has been marked
out in its general features.
The Swn - the Light - rises in the East. Light is a simply self-involved
existence;but though possessingthus in itself universality, it exists at the sarne
time as an individuality in the Sun. Imagination has often pictured to itself the
G. \7. F. Hegel,The Philosopbyof History (New York: P. F. Collier & Son,1902), pp. 163-6.
G. W. F. Hec+
emotions of a blind man suddenly becoming possessedof sight, beholding the
bright glimmering of the dawn, the growing light, and the flaming glory of the
ascending Sun. The boundless forgetfulness of his individuality in this pure
splendor is his first feeling - utter astonishment.But when the Sun is risen, this
astonishment is diminished; objects around are perceived, and from them the
individual proceedsto the contemplation of his own inner being, and thereby
the advance is made to the perception of the relation between the two. Then
inactive contemplation is quitted for activity; by the close of day man has
erecteda building constructed from his own inner Sun; and when in the evening
he contemplatesthis, he esteemsit more highly than the original external Sun.
For now he stands in a conscious relation to his Spirit, and therefore a free
relation. If we hold this image fast in mind, we shall find it symboiizing the
course of History, the great Day's work of Spirit.
rffest, for Europe is absolutely
The History of the \forld travels from East to
the end of History, Asia the beginning. The History of the World has an East
't(oytJ'(the term East in itself is entirely relative); for although the Earth
xar'
forms a sphere,History performs no circle round it, but has on the contrary a
determinate East, viz. Asia. Here rises the outwafd physical Sun, and in the
\üest it sinks down: here consentaneouslyrises the Sun of self-consciousness,
which diffuses a nobler brilliance. The History of the \7orld is the discipline of
the uncontrolled natural will, bringing it into obedienceto a Universal principle
and conferring subjectivefreedom. The East knew and to the presentday knows
only that One is Free; the Greek and Roman world, that some are free; the
German \forld knows that All are free. The first political form therefore which
we observein History is Despotism, the secondDemocracy andAristocracy,the
third Monarchy.
To understand this division we must remark that as the Stateis the universal
spiritual life, to which individuals by birth sustain a relation of confidence and
habit, and in which they have their existenceand reality - the first question is,
whether their actual life is an unreflecting use and habit combining them in this
unity, or whether its constituent individuals are reflective and personal beings
having a properly subjective and independent existence. In view of this,
substantial [objective] freedom must be distinguished ftom subiectiue fueedomSubstantial freedom is the abstract undeveloped Reason implicit in volition,
proceedingto develop itself in the State.But in this phase of Reasonthere is still
wanting personal insight and will, that is, subiectivefreedom; which is realized
only in the Individual, and which constitutesthe reflection of the Individual in
his own conscience.l'S7herethere is merely substantialfreedom, commands and
laws are regardedas something fixed and abstract, to which the subject holds
himself in absolute servitude. Theselaws need not concuf with the desireof the
individual, and the subjects are consequently like children, who obey their
parents without will or insight of their own. But as subiective freedom arises,
and man descendsfrom the contemplation of external reality into his own soul,
the contrast suggestedby reflection arises,involving the Negation of Reality.
t4
,i
:l
il
i
:
i.i:
+
The drawing bac
one side is the at
individual. In th
the East, these tr,
from the individ
[absolute and su
The first phase
consciousness- r
which the subject
obedience.In thr
developingitself
History. Substan
in which we find
that individuals r
the sovereign, w
Imperial Constitr
substantial: he t
established;so th
proceedsfrom th
conception is the
so that no other
subjectivefreedo
to that dominant
the latter looks f,
elementsof a cor
yet harmonized r,
before which no
revolting caprice
without purpose
from the Uplandor settling down i
lost in the centra
1. The essence
of.
maturegrowth,
of Conscience,
t
in lower stages(
principle into sc
alien,extraneou
stageimperfectl
cessive
stagesb1
that thus goverr
GoRceous
EDrFrcEs
sight, beholding the
flaming glory of the
duality in this pure
the Sun is risen, this
and from them the
: being, and thereby
^ieen the two. Then
rse of day man has
when in the evening
:iginal external Sun.
rnd therefore a free
I it symbolizing the
Europe is absolutely
: rVorld has an East
'although the Earth
as on the contrary a
ical Sun, and in the
f self-consciousness,
d is the discipline of
r Universal principle
e presentdaYknows
t solne are free; the
orm'therefore which
andAristocracy,the
Stateis the universal
rn of confidence and
the first question is,
mbining them in this
and personal beings
e. In view of this,
t subiectiuefreedom.
implicit in volition,
f Reasonthere is still
rm; which is realized
r of the Individual in
Jom, commands and
ich the subject holds
,vith the desire of the
:en, who obey their
:tive freedom arises,
rty into his own soul,
Negation of Reality.
The drawing back from the actual world forms ipso facto an antithesis,of which
one side is the absolute Being - the Divine - the other the human sub;'ectas an
individual. In that immediate, unreflected consciousnesswhich characterizes
the East, these two are not yet distinguished. The substantial world is distinct
from the individual, but the antithesis has not yet created a schism between
fabsolute and subjective] Spirit.
The first phase- that with which we have to begin - is the East. Unreflected
consciousness- substantial, objective, spiritual existence- forms the basis; to
which the subjectivewill first sustainsa relation in the form of faith, confidence,
obedience.In the political life of the East we find a realized rational freedom,
developing itself without advancingto subjectiue freedom. It is the childhood of
History. Substantialforms constitute the gorgeousedificesof Oriental Empires,
in which we find all rational ordinances and atrangements,but in such a way
that individuals remain as mere accidents.These revolve round a centre, round
the sovereign, who, as patriarch - not as despot in the senseof the Roman
Imperial Constitution - standsat the head. For he has to enforce the moral and
substantial: he has to uphold those essential ordinances which are already
established;so that what among us belongs entirely to subjectivefreedom here
proceeds from the entire and general body of the State. The glory of Orientai
conception is the One Individual as that substantial being to which all belongs,
so that no other individual has a separateexistence,or mirrors himself in his
subjective freedom. All the riches of imagination and Nature are appropriated
to that dominant existencein which subjective freedom is essentiallymerged;
the latter looks for its dignity, not in itself, but in that absolute object. All the
elementsof a complete State - even subjectivity - may be found there, but not
yet harmonized with the grand substantial being. For outside the One Power before which nothing can maintain an independent existence- there is only
revolting caprice, which, beyond the limits of the central power, roves at will
without purpose or result. Accordingly we find the wild hordes breaking out
from the Upland - falling upon the countries in question, and laying them waste,
or settling down in them, and giving up their wild life; but in all casesresultlessly
lost in the central substance.
NOTE
1. The essence
or'Freedom.'WhereSpirit has attained
of Spirit is self-determination
the absolutevalidity of the dictates
maturegrowth,asin the manwho acknowledges
'realized.'But
of Conscience,
the Individualis 'a law to himself,'and his Freedomis
proiectsthis legislative
in lower stagesof morality and civilization,he unconsciously
principleinto some'governingpower' (oneor several),and obeysit as if it were an
alien,extraneous
force,not thevoiceof that Spiritof which hehimself(thoughat this
stageimperfectly)is an embodiment.The Philosophyof History exhibitsthe sucthat it is bis otun inmostbeing
cessive
the consciousness,
stagesby which he reaches
or 'Freedom.'- ?.
that thusgovernshim - i.e.a consciousness
of seif-determination
t5