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Fall； in which the serpent did not delude man； for God said； 〃Behold； Adam has become as one of
us； to know good and evil。〃 We have to deal with this unity of subjective principle and of
substance； it constitutes the process of Mind that this individual one or independent existence of
subject should put aside its immediate character and bring itself forth as identical with the
substantial。 Such an aim is pronounced to be the highest end attainable by man。 We see from this
that religious ideas and speculation are not so far asunder as was at first believed； and I maintain
these ideas in order that we may not be ashamed of them； seeing that we still belong to them； and
so that if we do get beyond them； we may not be ashamed of our progenitors of the early
Christian times； who held these ideas in such high esteem。
The first principle of that Philosophy which has taken its place in Christendom is thus found in the
existence of two totalities。 This is a reduplication of substance which now； however； is
characterized by the fact that the two totalities are no longer external to one another； but are
clearly both required through their relation to one another。 If formerly Stoicism and Epicureanism；
whose negativity was Scepticism； came forth as independent； and if finally the implicitly existent
universality of both was established； these moments are now known as separate totalities； and yet
in their opposition they have to be thought of as one。 We have here the true speculative Idea； the
Notion in its determinations； each of which is brought into a totality and clearly relates to the other。
We thus have really two Ideas； the subjective Idea as knowledge； and then the substantial and
concrete Idea； and the development and perfection of this principle and its coming to the
consciousness of Thought； is the subject treated by modern Philosophy。 Thus the determinations
are in it more concrete than with the ancients。 This opposition in which the two sides culminate；
grasped in its widest significance； is the opposition between Thought and Being； individuality and
substance； so that in the subject himself his freedom stands once more within the bounds of
necessity； it is the opposition between subject and object； and between Nature and Mind； in so far
as this last as finite stands in opposition to Nature。
The Greek Philosophy is free from restraint because it does not yet have regard to the opposition
between Being and Thought； but proceeds from the unconscious presupposition that Thought is
also Being。 Certainly certain stages in the Greek Philosophy are laid hold of which seem to stand
on the same platform as the Christian philosophies。 Thus when we see； for instance； in the
Philosophy of the Sophists； the new Academics； and the Sceptics； that they maintain the doctrine
that the truth is not capable of being known； they might appear to accord with the later subjective
philosophies in asserting that all thought…determinations were only subjective in character； and that
hence from these no conclusions could be arrived at as regards what is objective。 But there is
really a difference。 In the case of ancient philosophies； which said that we know only the
phenomenal； everything is confined to that； it is as regards practical life that the new Academy and
the Sceptics also admitted the possibility of conducting oneself rightly； morally and rationally； when
one adopts the phenomenal as one's rule and guide in life。 But though it is the phenomenal that lies
at the foundation of things； it is not asserted that there is likewise a knowledge of the true and
existent； as in the case of the merely subjective idealists of a more modern day。 Those last still
keep in the background a potentiality； a beyond which cannot be known through thought or
through conception。 This other knowledge is an immediate knowledge…a faith in； a view of； and a
yearning after； the beyond such as was evinced by Jacobi。 The ancients have no such yearning： on
the contrary； they have perfect satisfaction and rest in the certitude that only that which appears is
for Knowledge。
Thus it is necessary in this respect to keep strictly to the point of view from which we start； else
through the similarity of the results； we come to see in that old Philosophy all the determinate
character of modern subjectivity。 Since in the simplicity of ancient philosophy the phenomenal was
itself the only sphere； doubts as to objective thought were not present to it。
The opposition defined； the two sides of which are in modern times really related to one another
as totalities； also has the form of an opposition between reason and faith； between individual
perception and the objective truth which must be taken without reason of one's own； and even
with a complete disregard for such reason。 This is faith as understood by the church； or faith in the
modern sense； i。e。 a rejection of reason in favour of an inward revelation； called a direct certainty
or perception； or an implicit and intuitive feeling。 The opposition between this knowledge； which
has first of all to develop itself； and that knowledge which has already developed itself inwardly；
arouses a peculiar interest。 In both cases the unity of thought or subjectivity and of Truth or
objectivity is manifested； only in the first form it is said that the natural man knows the Truth since
he intuitively believes it； while in the second form the unity of knowledge and Truth is shown； but in
such a way that the subject raises itself above the immediate form of sensuous consciousness and
reaches the Truth first of all through Thought。
The final end is to think the Absolute as Mind； as the Universal； that which； when the infinite
bounty of the Notion in its reality freely emits its determinations from itself； wholly impresses itself
upon and imparts itself to them； so that they may be indifferently outside of or in conflict with one
another； but so that these totalities are one only； not alone implicitly； （which would simply be our
reflection） but explicitly identical； the determinations of their difference being thus explicitly merely
ideal。 Hence if the starting…point of the history of Philosophy can be expressed by saying that God
is comprehended as the immediate and not yet developed universality； and that its end…the
grasping of the Absolute as Mind through the two and a half thousand years' work of the thus far
inert world…spirit…is the end of our time； it makes it easy for us from one determination to go on
through the manifestation of its needs； to others。 Yet in the course of history this is difficult。
We thus have altogether two philosophies…the Greek and the Teutonic。 As regards the latter we
must distinguish the time when Philosophy made its formal appearance as Philosophy and the
period of formation and of preparation for modern times。 We may first begin Teutonic philosophy
where it appears in proper form as Philosophy。 Between the first period and those more recent；
comes； as an intermediate period； that fermentation of a new Philosophy which on the one side
keeps within the substantial and real existence and does not arrive at form； while on the other side；
it perfects Thought； as the bare form of a pre…supposed truth； until it again knows itself as the free
ground and source of Truth。 Hence the history of Philosophy falls into three periods…that of the
Greek Philosophy； the Philosophy of the Middle Ages and the modern Philosophy。 Of these the
first is speaking generally； regulated by Thought； the second falls into the opposition between
existence and formal reflection； but the third has the Notion as its ground。 This must not be taken
to mean that the first contains Thought alone； it also has conceptions and ideas； just as the latter
begins from abstract thoughts which yet constitute a duality。
First Period。 — This commences at the time of Thales； about 600 B。C。； and goes on to the
coming to maturity of the Neo…platonic philosophy with Plotinus in the third century； from thence
to its further progress and development with Proclus in the fifth century until the time when all
philosophy was extinguished。 The Neo…platonic philosophy then made its entrance into Christianity
later on； and many philosophies within Christianity have this philosophy as their only groundwork。
This is a space of time extending to about 1000 years； the end of which coincides with the
migration of the nations and the decline of the Roman Empire。
Second Period。 — The second period is that of the Middle Ages。 The Scholastics are included
in it； and Arabians and Jews are also historically to be noticed； but this philosophy mainly falls
within the Christian Church。 This period is of something over 1000 years' duration。
Third Period。 — Philosophy of modern times made its first independent appearance after the
Thirty Years' War； with Bacon； Jacob B？hm and Descartes； it begins with the distinction
contained in： cogito ergo sum。 This period is one of a couple of centuries and the philosophy is
consequently still somewhat modern。
2。 Sources of the History of Philosophy。
We have to seek for sources of another kind in this than in political history。 There historians are