A History of Philosophy in EpitomeSchwegler, Albert
Philosophy
A History of Philosophy in Epitome
Schwegler, Albert
Philosophy -- History
(2.) The two principles, the particular and the universal will, are
first united in man as they are in the absolute: but in God they are
united inseparably, and in man separably, for otherwise God could not
reveal himself in man. It is even this separableness of the universal
will, and the particular will, which makes good and evil possible. The
good is the subjection of the particular will to the universal will, and
the reverse of this right relation is evil. Human freedom consists in
this possibility of good and evil. The empirical man, however, is not
free, but his whole empirical condition is posited by a previous act of
intelligence. The man must act just as he does, but is nevertheless
free, because he has from eternity freely made himself that which he now
necessarily is. The history of the human race is founded for the most
part on the struggle of the individual will with the universal will, as
the history of nature is founded on the struggle of the ground with the
understanding. The different stages through which evil, as a historical
power, takes its way in conflict with love, constitute the periods of
the world’s history. Christianity is the centre of history: in Christ,
the principle of love came in personal contact with incarnate evil:
Christ was the mediator to reconcile on the highest stage the creation
with God; for that which is personal can alone redeem the personal. The
end of history is the reconciliation of the particular will and love,
the prevalence of the universal will, so that God shall be all in all.
The original indifference is thus elevated to identity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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