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

Author: (German) Lovit
Publisher:
Publication 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 conceptions of God, humanity, and history 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 Statement: 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 earlier: "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. Some lack of conciseness in the description is inevitable, as this work was originally written with American readers in mind and conceived in a language the author had recently mastered. Therefore, certain points emphasized and discussed in detail may only require brief and concise guidance for German readers. The author hopes that the lack of brevity and rigor here will be compensated by its accessibility. 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 identify all quotations from the English translation in the corresponding German text as annotations. Heidelberg, Summer 1952
Excerpt:
I. Burckhardt
Burckhardt's philosophical abandonment of historical philosophy
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 were intended as an introduction to the study of "historical things" and to guide people to grasp those periods in history that are particularly cherished by each individual. For him, historiography was not the science of neutral facts but "reporting facts that a particular era considered worth attention in another era." Each age 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 the expression of these facts. Only through selective interpretation and judgment can it be determined what is noteworthy, important, and substantial in history. "For example, it is highly 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 series of historical studies with a somewhat accidental line of thought." He abandoned any attempt at systematic construction, including any demand for a "concept" of world history. Historical philosophy is a fallacy 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 historical riddles by religion belongs to a "special inner capacity," i.e., the belief that Burckhardt personally rejected. He reminded people that both Hegel and Augustine started from a single principle, namely the God who realizes his intentions in history or the absolute world spirit, and attempted to interpret history according to a system. Contrary to Hegel's theodicy, 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: "It has nothing to do with us here." Both go beyond what is possible for human knowledge. Historical philosophy and historical theology both seek the initial beginning and the ultimate goal, while secular historians cannot concern themselves with either. What is comprehensible to him is only the constant center of history, namely "the suffering, striving, and acting human being, as he is past, present, and future." Burckhardt's refusal to explore the ultimate goal logically leads 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 beginning nor the end 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 rests on continuity, serving as the universal standard for all specific historical evaluations. If there truly were a fundamental crisis that shattered