... where the Idea of philosophy is actually present, there it is the concern of criticism to interpret the way and the degree in which it emerges free and clear, and the range within which it has been elaborated into a scientific system of philosophy.
As for this last point, if the pure Idea of philosophy is expressed with spirit, but naively and without scientific range – if it does not arrive at the objectivity of a systematic consciousness – we must still greet it with joy and delight; it is the mark of a beautiful soul, whose inertia guards it against falling into the original sin of thinking, but which also lacks the courage to hurl itself into that sin and to follow the path of its guilt, till the guilt is dissolved – and so it has not arrived at the intuition of itself in an objective whole of science. The empty form of such spirits, however – those who aim to give the heart and essence of philosophy in short formulas without [living] spirit – this form has no scientific significance, and has no other interest either.
But when the Idea of philosophy becomes more scientific it must be carefully distinguished from the individuality which will express its character without harm to the identity of the Idea of philosophy or to the purely objective exposition of it – the subjectivity or limitedness, that gets mingled in the exposition of the Idea of philosophy. Criticism has to apply itself especially to the way that philosophy looks when masked by this subjectivity – it must tear the mask off.
When it is shown to be the case that the Idea of philosophy is actually before the mind, then criticism can cleave to the requirement and to the need that is expressed, to the objective factor in which the need seeks its satisfaction, and can lay aside the limitedness of the shape through its own genuine tendency toward perfect objectivity.
As for this last point, if the pure Idea of philosophy is expressed with spirit, but naively and without scientific range – if it does not arrive at the objectivity of a systematic consciousness – we must still greet it with joy and delight; it is the mark of a beautiful soul, whose inertia guards it against falling into the original sin of thinking, but which also lacks the courage to hurl itself into that sin and to follow the path of its guilt, till the guilt is dissolved – and so it has not arrived at the intuition of itself in an objective whole of science. The empty form of such spirits, however – those who aim to give the heart and essence of philosophy in short formulas without [living] spirit – this form has no scientific significance, and has no other interest either.
But when the Idea of philosophy becomes more scientific it must be carefully distinguished from the individuality which will express its character without harm to the identity of the Idea of philosophy or to the purely objective exposition of it – the subjectivity or limitedness, that gets mingled in the exposition of the Idea of philosophy. Criticism has to apply itself especially to the way that philosophy looks when masked by this subjectivity – it must tear the mask off.
When it is shown to be the case that the Idea of philosophy is actually before the mind, then criticism can cleave to the requirement and to the need that is expressed, to the objective factor in which the need seeks its satisfaction, and can lay aside the limitedness of the shape through its own genuine tendency toward perfect objectivity.
Schelling and Hegel
¡Caciques al GULAG!
Workers of the World, Unite!
¡Reciprocidad! ¡Repatriación! ¡Revolución!
