bee Thinking Reason; with the view of effecting in its own element; the restoration of its
principles from the ruin to which they had been brought。
§ 78
We find then; it is true; among all world…historical peoples; poetry; plastic art; science; even
philosophy; but not only is there a diversity in style and bearing generally; but still more remarkably
in subject…matter; and this is a diversity of the most important kind; affecting the rationality of that
subject…matter。 It is useless for a pretentious aesthetic criticism to demand that our good pleasure
should not be made the rule for the matter — the substantial part of their contents — and to
maintain that it is the beautiful form as such; the grandeur of the fancy; and so forth; which fine art
aims at; and which must be considered and enjoyed by a liberal taste and cultivated mind。 A
healthy intellect does not tolerate such abstractions; and cannot assimilate productions of the kind
above referred to。 Granted that the Indian Epopees might be placed on a level with the Homeric;
on account of a number of those qualities of form — grandeur of invention and imaginative power;
liveliness of images and emotions; and beauty of diction; yet the infinite difference of matter
remains; consequently one of substantial importance and involving the interest of Reason which is
immediately concerned with the consciousness of the Idea of Freedom; and its expression in
individuals。 There is not only a classical form; but a classical order of subject…matter; and in a
work of art form and subject…matter are so closely united that the former can only be classical to
the extent to which the latter is so。 With a fantastic; indeterminate material — the Rule is the
essence of Reason …the form bees measureless and formless; or mean and contracted。 In the
same way; in that parison of the various systems of philosophy of which we have already
spoken; the only point of importance is overlooked; namely the character of that Unity which is
found alike in the Chinese; the Eleatic; and the Spinozistic philosophy — the distinction between
the recognition of that Unity as abstract and as concrete — concrete to the extent of being a unity
in and by itself — a unity synonymous with Spirit。 But that co…ordination proves that it recognises
only such an abstract unity; so that while it gives judgment respecting philosophy it is ignorant of
that very point which constitutes the interest of philosophy。
§ 79
But there are also spheres which; amid all the variety that is presented in the substantial content of
a particular form of culture; remain the same。 The difference above mentioned in art; science;
philosophy; concerns the thinking Reason and Freedom; which is the self…consciousness of the
https://www.du8.org https://www.shuhuangxs.com www.baquge.ccabxsw.net dingdianshu.com bxwx9.net
kenshu.tw pashuba.com quanshu.la
tlxsw.cc qudushu.net zaidudu.org
duyidu.org baquge.cc kenshuge.cc
qushumi.com xepzw.com 3dllc.net