第10部分(第3/7 頁)

ital　principle　capable　of　realising　itself。　This　Good；　this

Reason；　in　its　most　concrete　form；　is　God。　God　governs　the　world；　the　actual　working　of　his

government　—　the　carrying　out　of　his　plan　—　is　the　History　of　the　World。　This　plan　philosophy

strives　to　prehend；　for　only　that　which　has　been　developed　as　the　result　of　it；　possesses　bona

fide　reality。　That　which　does　not　accord　with　it；　is　negative；　worthless　existence。　Before　the　pure

light　of　this　divine　Idea　—　which　is　no　mere　Idea　…　the　phantom　of　a　world　whose　events　are　an

incoherent　concourse　of　fortuitous　circumstances；　utterly　vanishes。　Philosophy　wishes　to　discover

the　substantial　purport；　the　real　side　of　the　divine　idea　and　to　justify　the　so　much　despised　Reality

of　things；　for　Reason　is　the　prehension　of　the　Divine　work。　But　as　to　what　concerns　the

perversion；　corruption；　and　ruin　of　religious；　ethical　and　moral　purposes；　and　states　of　society

generally；　it　must　be　affirmed；　that　in　their　essence　these　are　infinite　and　eternal；　but　that　the　forms

they　assume　may　be　of　a　limited　orders　and　consequently　belong　to　the　domain　of　mere　nature；

and　be　subject　to　the　sway　of　chance。　They　are　therefore　perishable；　and　exposed　to　decay　and

corruption。　Religion　and　morality　—　in　the　same　way　as　inherently　universal　essences　—　have　the

peculiarity　of　being　present　in　the　individual　soul；　in　the　full　extent　of　their　Idea；　and　therefore　truly

and　really；　although　they　may　not　manifest　themselves　in　it　in　extenso；　and　are　not　applied　to　fully

developed　relations。　The　religion；　the　morality　of　a　limited　sphere　of　life　—　that　of　a　shepherd　or　a

peasant；　e。g。　—　in　its　intensive　concentration　and　limitation