Outline of the History of Human Spiritual Progress

Author: (French) Condorcet; He Zhaowu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-05-01
Features: A person is born with the ability to accept various sensations, the ability to perceive and distinguish the simple sensations that constitute them, to preserve them, recognize them, and combine them. They can compare these combinations, grasp their commonalities and differences, and attach various symbols to all these objects to better understand them and promote new combinations. The book Tableau des progrès de l'esprit humain vividly reflects the historical view of the Enlightenment era. In the book, he strives to elucidate what the laws, stages, and driving forces of historical development are. The main purpose of the book Tableau des progrès de l'esprit humain is to demonstrate that history is a process of the continuous liberation of human reason: the first step is liberation from the constraints of the natural environment, and the second step is liberation from the constraints of history. The essence of progress lies in removing obstacles on the path of historical advancement. These obstacles come from both the autocracy and hierarchy of the ruling class and the ignorance and prejudice of the masses; however, both can and should be eliminated through political and intellectual revolutions. History is also a manifestation of the self-development of rational forces. Humanity must obey natural laws; but the collective efforts of humanity over the long term can also constrain and utilize natural forces, which can still be considered a part of nature. In other words, the liberation of humanity from the constraints of nature itself is also natural. Similarly, the growth of human freedom is also a part of natural law. In this way, the historical view of the 18th-century Enlightenment movement—that progress depends on the development of human reason, and that people therefore have reason to place infinite confidence and hope in the future—is vividly reflected in his Tableau des progrès de l'esprit humain.