Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy: Volume 1 (of 3)
Georg Hegel · en
subjective Idea is at first only formal, but it is the real possibility
of the substantial and of the potentially universal; its end is to
realize itself and to identify itself with substance. Through this
subjectivity and negative unity, and through this absolute negativity,
the ideal becomes no longer our object merely, but object to itself,
and this principle has taken effect in the world of Christianity. Thus
in the modern point of view the subject is for itself free, man is
free as man, and from this comes the idea that because he is Mind he
has from his very nature the eternal quality of being substantial. God
becomes known as Mind which appears to itself as double, yet removes
the difference that it may in it be for and at home with itself. The
business of the world, taking it as a whole, is to become reconciled
with Mind, recognizing itself therein, and this business is assigned to
the Teutonic world.
The first beginning of this undertaking is found in the Religion which
is the contemplation of and faith in this principle as in an actual
existence before a knowledge of the principle has been arrived at. In
the Christian Religion this principle is found more as feeling and
idea; in it man as man is destined to everlasting bliss, and is an
object of divine grace, pity and interest, which is as much as saying
that man has an absolute and infinite value. We find it further in
that dogma revealed through Christ to men, of the unity of the divine
and human nature, according to which the subjective and the objective
Idea—man and God—are one. This, in another form, is found in the
old story of the 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.