World History and the History of Redemption: The Theological Premises of Historical Philosophy

Author: (German) Lovit
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: The changes in European thought over nearly a century are enigmatic. Where exactly lies the problem? What is the relationship between the modern fate of European society and modern thought? This book explores the formation of modern historical philosophy through a retrospective approach, analyzing the evolution of the concept of God, the human perspective, and the historical view in the history of Western modern thought, down to the finest details, thereby investigating the spiritual roots of the bewildering journey of modern Western society.
Author's Self-Introduction: The English translation of this book was translated by Dr. H. Kesting and re-read by the author, and was published by the University of Chicago Press in 1945 under the title The Meaning of History. The true purpose of this historical description of historical thinking is to attempt to answer the question raised a decade ago: "Is the existence and 'meaning' of history entirely determined by itself? If not, then what determines it?" Ultimately, the theological significance of historical philosophy goes beyond all historical thinking. The somewhat loose structure in the description is naturally inevitable because this work was originally written with American readers in mind and was thought in a language the author had recently mastered. Therefore, certain aspects that are emphasized and discussed in detail may only require concise and brief guidance for German readers. The author hopes that the lack of conciseness and rigor here will be compensated by its accessibility. At the time, the author also felt that it was beneficial to be accustomed to a language that, while not dedicated to the intricacy of concepts or the depth of expression, possessed its own unique precision and richness. Some parts of the text have been condensed, and some content has been omitted during translation. It was not always possible to verify in the corresponding German text that all quotations in the notes originated from the English translation. Heidelberg, Summer 1952
Excerpt:
I. Burckhardt
Burckhardt's philosophical abandonment of historical philosophy
Burckhardt (Burckhardt) neither constructed "world history" in a philosophical way nor sought to advance specialized erudition, but rather aimed to elevate historical knowledge to wisdom. His lectures on history should serve as an introduction to the study of "historical things" and guide people to grasp those periods in history that are particularly dear to each individual. For him, historiography was not the science of neutral facts but rather "reporting facts that a particular era considered worth attention to another era." Each era must reawaken its memory of the past through new efforts in comprehension and interpretation to avoid forgetting the past and losing the roots of its historical life. This interpretation also means selection, emphasis, and judgment. It is not the regrettable subjectification of neutral facts but rather the expression of these facts. Only through selective interpretation and judgment can it be determined what is truly noteworthy, important, and substantial in history. "For example, it is very likely that there is a matter of paramount importance in Thucydides, which was only discovered a hundred years later." In his Studies in World History, Burckhardt immediately clarified that these studies neither could nor intended to compete with a single historical philosophy. His task was modestly self-aware. He only planned to "connect a set of historical studies with a somewhat accidental line of thought." He abandoned any attempt at systematic construction, including any requirement for a "concept" of world history. Historical philosophy is a sophistry because history lists various observations, while philosophy subordinates them to a principle. Similarly, he also abandoned historical theology. "The improvement in religion here is self-evident." The resolution of the mystery of history by religion belongs to a "special inner capacity," i.e., the belief that Burckhardt personally rejected. He reminded people that Hegel and Augustine started from a single principle, namely the God who realizes its intentions in history or the absolute world spirit, and attempted to interpret history according to a system. Contrary to Hegel's theodicy (Theodizee), Burckhardt insisted that the meaning of history is beyond our knowledge because we do not know the purpose of eternal wisdom; regarding Augustine's religious interpretation, he merely said: "Here, it has nothing to do with us." Both go beyond what is possibly human knowledge. Historical philosophy and historical theology must explore the initial beginning and the ultimate goal, but secular historians cannot concern themselves with either. What is comprehensible to him is only the constant center of history, namely "the suffering, pursuing, and acting human being, as he has been, is, and will be." Burckhardt refused to investigate the ultimate goal, and the inevitable result logically led to the abandonment of an ultimate meaning. He asked himself: "To what extent is the conclusion skeptical?" His answer was: "In a world where neither the starting point nor the endpoint is known, and the middle is in constant motion, true skepticism certainly has its place." Yet, precisely in the flow of history, there exists a constancy, namely the continuity of history. After Burckhardt rejected systematic interpretation through philosophy and theology, this continuity became the only principle discernible in his Studies in World History, the only thread that tied all his studies together. For him, the entire meaning of history was based on continuity, serving as the universal standard for all specific historical evaluations. If there truly were a fundamental crisis that shattered