THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

[shivani sanghai]

THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

 

THE SUBJECT OF THIS LECTURE IS THE PHILOSOPHICAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD WHICH SHOULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD AS ONLY A COLLECTION OF GENERAL OBSERVATIONS SUGGESTED BY THE STUDY OF RECORDS OR ILLUSTRATED BY FACTS BUT IT IS THE UNIVERSAL HISTORY ITSELF WHICH THE AUTHOR SPEAKS ABOUT.

 

THE METHODS OF TREATING HISTORY ARE: -

 

1.)      ORIGINAL HISTORY

 

THIS TYPE OF METHOD INCLUDES THOSE HISTORIANS SUCH AS HERODOTUS, THUCYDIDES, ETC. WHO DESCRIBE DEEDS, EVENTS AND STATES OF SOCIETY ON WHAT THEY HAVE BEFORE THEIR EYES. THEY HAVE SIMPLY TRANSFERRED THINGS, WHICH HAVE BBEN HAPPENING AROUND IN THE WORLD IN THE FORM OF A REPRESENTATIVE INTELLECT. THESE HISTORIANS WHO WE CAN CALL THE "ORIGINAL HISTORIANS" HAD TAKEN STATEMENTS, NARRATIVES ETC. FROM OTHER MEN AS THEIR "INGREDIENTS" TO FURTHER DEVELOP ON THEIR SUBJECT.

 

HOWEVER THE AUTHOR SAYS THAT LEGENDS, BALLAD- STORIES, TRADITIONS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL HISTORY AS THEY ARE VERY DIM AND HAZY FORMS OF HISTORICAL APPREHENSION. WHAT IT INCLUDES THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY CONSCIOUS AND AWARE ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT.

 

ORIGINAL HISTORY IS THAT POINT OF FIRMNESS WHICH LOOKS AT A CLEAR DOMAIN OF REALITY WHERE NATIONS HAVE ATTAINED A MATURE INDIVIDUALITY

AS AGAINST THE FUGITIVE AND THE SHADOWY ELEMENT IN, WHICH WERE ENGENDERED, THOSE LEGENDS AND POETIC DREAMS WHOSE HISTORICAL PRESTIGE HAS VANISHED.

 

"WHAT IS PRESENT AND LIVING IN HIS ENVIRONMENT IS THE PROPER MATERIAL" IS THE SUBJECT OF THE HISTORIAN.

 

THE INFLUENCES ON THE WRITER COMES OUT FROM THE WAY HE MOULDS THE EVENTS OF HIS STORY. THUS WE CAN SAY THAT THE AUTHOR'S SPIRIT COMES IN THE FORM OF THE ACTIONS HE NARRATES IN HIS STORY.

 

THUS WRITERS OF THIS ORDER NEED TO OCCUPY AN ELEVATED POSITION INORDER TO TAKE AN EXTENSIVE VIEW OF AFFAIRS –

"TO SEE EVERYTHING" RATHER THAN SEEING JUST A GLIMPSE OF THE WORLD FROM BELOW THROUGH A MISERABLE CONDITION.

 

  2.)     REFLECTIVE HISTORY

 

IT IS THAT KIND OF HISTORY WHOSE MODE OF REPRESENTATION IS NOT NECESSARILY CONFINED BY THE LIMITS OF THE TIME TO WHICH IT RELATES, BUT WHOSE SPIRIT TRANSCENDS THE PRESENT.

 

a.)      UNIVERSAL HISTORY

 

TO GET A VIEW OF THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE /COUNTRY/WORLD.

 

THE PRINCIPLE TO WHICH THE AUTHOR REFERS: -

 

-           THE BEARING & MOTIVES OF THE ACTIONS AND EVENTS, WHICH HE DESCRIBES.

-           THOSE, WHICH DETERMINE THE FORM OF HIS NARRATIVE.

 

INSTEAD OF JUST WRITING HISTORY AN IMMENSE THOUGHT IS GIVEN OUT IN DISCOVERING HOW HISTORY IS OUGHT TO BE WRITTEN.

 

SOME BEING GOOD – A VIVID TRANSCRIPT OF EVENTS

                          BAD    - SPIRIT OF THE WRITER IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE TIME

                                        WHICH HE TREATS.

 

A COMPILER IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE ORIGINAL HISTORIAN AS IT WRITES MORE OF AN EXPANDED VERSION OF WHAT ORIGINAL HISTORIAN HAS ACCOUNTED ABRIDGES HIS ANNALS IN THOSE PERIOD.

 

THEREFORE HISTORY, WHICH ASPIRES TO BE UNIVERSAL MUST INDEED, FOREGO THE ATTEMPT TO GIVE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PAST, AS IT ACTUALLY EXISTED. IT MUST FORESHORTEN ITS PICTURES BY ABSTRACTIONS BUT OMIT EVENTS AND DEEDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THOUGHT.

 

b.)      PRAGMATICAL HISTORY

 

c.)      CRITICAL HISTORY

 

MODE OF TREATING HISTORY, NOT HISTORY ITSELF BUT HISTORY OF HISTORY. A CRITICISM OF HISTORICAL NARRATIVES AND AN INVESTIGATION OF THEIR TRUTH AND CREDIBILITY.   INTENTION IS TO GET INTO THAT ACUTENESS OF THE SUBJECT, WHICH THE WRITER PERHAPS HAS NOT RECORDED.

 

d.)      FRAGMENTARY CHARACTER

 

ADOPTS AN ABSTRACT POSITION WITH GENERAL POINTS OF VIEW. IT IS A TRANSITION TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

 

3.)       PHILOSOPHICAL HISTORY

 

MEANS A THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION OF HISTORY. THE POWER OF THOUGHT DISTINGUISHES US FROM THE ANIMAL/BEAST.

 

THOUGHT IS AN INVARIABLE ELEMENT WHICH INCLUDES HUMAN INSTINCTS AND VOLITIONS, SENSATIONS , COGNITION AND INTELLECTION.

 

THE ONLY THOUGHT WHICH PHILOSOPHY BRINGS WITH IT TO THE CONTEMPLATION OF HISTORY IS THE CONCEPTION OF REASON.

 

REASON IS THE SOVEREIGN OF THE WORLD. THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IS A RATIONAL PROCESS.

REASON IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THE UNIVERSE, THAT BY WHICH AND IN WHICH ALL REALITY HAS ITS BEING AND SUBSISTENCE.

REASON IS THE INFINITE ENERGY OF THE UNIVERSE. IT IS AN INFINITE COMPLEX OF THINGS – THEIR ENTIRE ESSENCE AND TRUTH.

REASON OR IDEA IS THE TRUE, THE ETERNAL, AND THE POWERFUL ESSENCE THAT IT REVEALS IN THE WORLD – AND THUS PHILOSOPHY PROVES ITS HONOUR AND GLORY.

 

THERE HAS TO EXIST THE BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF REASON.  REASON HAS RULED ANS HAS BEEN RULING THE WORLD.

 

a.)       REASON GOVERNS THE WORLD

 

NATURE IN HARMONY WITH REASON, WHO WOULD DEMONSTRATE IN EACH PARTICULAR PHENOMENON ITS SPECIFIC AIM, AND IN THE WHOLE, THE GRAND OBJECT OF THE UNIVERSE. NATURE – A MERE ABSTRACTION

 

THERE IS A DIFFRENCE BETWEEN CONCEPTION, PRINCIPLE , A TRUTH LIMITED TO AN ABSTRACT FORM AND ITS DETERMINATE APPLICATION, AND CONCRETE DEVELOPMENT.

 

HOW DOES REASON GOVERN THE WORLD ??????

 

REASON – PROVIDENCE – KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.  PHILOSOPHY DEFENDING RELIGION / RELIGIOUS TRUTHS.

 

DEVELOPMENT OF THINKING SPIRIT , WHICH HAS RESULTED FROM THE REVELATION OF THE DIVINE BEING AS ITS ORIGINAL BASIS, MUST ULTIMATELY ADVANCE TO THE INTELLECTUAL COMPREHENSION OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, TO FEELING AND IMAGINATION.

 

DIVINE WISDOM- "REASON"

 

b.)      ESSENTIAL DESTINY OF REASON

 

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE DESIGN OF THE WORLD?

-           ABSTRACT DEFINITION

-           REALISATION

 

UNIVERSAL HISTORY – BELONGS TO THE REALM OF SPIRIT

 

WORLD – PHYSICAL NATURE & PSYCHICAL NATURE

 

ABSTRACT CHARACTERS – NATURE OF THE SPIRIT- FREEDOM

 

1.)      ABSTRACT CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURE OF SPIRIT

2.)      WHAT MEANS SPIRIT USES INORDER TO REALISE ITS IDEA.

3.)      THE EMBODIMENT THE SPIRIT ASSUMES- THE STATE

 

 

 

shivani

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Payal Kapoor]

THE PHILOSPHY OF HISTORY

          By G.W.F Hegel

 

Translated by J. Sibree

 

Author speaks about the various methods of treating history. The various methods may be ranged under three heads:

1.     Original history

2.     Reflective history

3.     Philosophical history

When we consider original history, we see historians representing the events, deeds, and states of society, which existed during the same time as theirs. What happened in the past – what must have been the legends and traditions weren't the part of their writings.   The influences that have formed the writer are the same with those, which have shaped the events that constitute the matter of his narrative.    In ancient times, reflections don't form a part of history. For e.g. what ceaser wrote mainly constituted prosecutions of own aims. Speeches and orations also form a part of original history. Original historians were usually statesman or great captains.

During the middle ages the monks who were away from the active life as against elder annalist had been connected with it made the record of history. The bishops who were centre of political world didn't write history. And if we consider the modern history relations became entirely changed. All events were now historical representations.

 

Reflective history's mode of representation speaks of the past spirit from where we have reached our present. It can be further categorised into universal, critical and pragmatical history.

It is the aim of Universal History to gain a view of the entire history of a people or a country. The historian writes of the events, which have already taken place so he doesn't shares the same influences, which mould those events. He writes in his own spirit – as his mind conceives those events. Every historian tries to invent an individual method of describing history.

Here the issue becomes that the emphasis goes more on how history should be written rather than writing the history .

 Individuality of the author who belongs to a different culture should be distinct from the period he is writing about but often it does not happen. For e.g. historian Livy write about roman kings but made their speeches and oration appear as would have been delivered by an accomplished advocate of livian era which is in contrast with the genuine tradition of the roman antiquity.

So basically description about history get influenced by the thinking of historians and the light in which they see the past. So there is a difference between a compiler who writes universal history and an original historian.

 

Pragmatical History takes the occurrence out of the category of the Past and makes it virtually Present. historian  tries to portray history of the past with life of today. Such reflections could be interesting but should also carry a moral lesson with them. Do people and government learn anything from the history or principles deduced from it ?

Each period has it own consistencies and inconsistencies, which are peculiar to it, so general principles might not help. If we are having some issue in the present, it might be useless to revert any such circumstance in the past. Hegel emphasizes that French are excellent in reanimating the bygone past and reinventing the past in present conditions but Germans do not need material for history, which have reflection of the spirit of author.

 

In Critical History, it is not history itself that is presented, but a History of History. This mode of treating history is now current in Germany. It is a criticism of historical narratives and an investigation of their truth and credibility. The French have given as much that is thoughtful and sensible in this class of composition. But they have not endeavoured to pass a merely critical procedure for substantial history. Critical History adopts an abstract position; yet, since it takes general points of view (e.g. as the History of Art, of Law, of Religion), it forms a transition to the Philosophical History of the World.

 

The third kind of history, — the Philosophical is nothing but the thoughtful consideration of it. Thought is essential to humanity. The only Thought which Philosophy brings with it to the contemplation of History, is the simple conception of Reason; it  is the Sovereign of the World; history therefore, presents us with a rational process. Reason is the substance of the Universe; viz. that by which and in which all reality has its being and subsistence. The World of intelligence and conscious choice is not abandoned to chance, but must show itself in the light of the self aware Idea.

 

Two points of view that concern the generally diffused conviction that Reason rules in the world:

1)    Reason governs the world

2)     The essential destiny of reason

Anaxagoras was the first to speak about the doctrine that Reason governs the world. Nature is unchangeably subordinate to universal laws. Author brings to notice that the rise of  idea — that Reason directs the World — in connection with a further application of it, well known to us, — in the form, viz. of the religious truth, that the world is not abandoned to chance and external contingent causes, but that a Providence controls it.