III. The Course of the World’s History
1. Nature vs. Spirit: Whereas Nature or the natural world exhibits perpetually self-repeating cycles, Spirit is the realm where Perfectibility, Development, and the attainment of Completeness occur. Whereas growth in Nature is peaceful, Spirit exhibits a “severe, a mighty conflict with itself.” (p. 55) Nature suggests an initial complete knowledge in the sense of Divine Truth, which is really a distortion of the Truth revealed in history. As Nature is the development of the Idea in Space, History is the development of Spirit in Time. (p. 72)
2. Requirements for World History: Includes a narration of the gestation, or development, of things rather than an account of things. Includes also a State to record events. Nomadic wanderings, and the growth of families and clans, have no objective history because they have no recorded annals. It is a mistake to think that moral virtues present in all nations as in the examples of courage, self-denial, and magnanimity, mean the same thing so there is no moral progress.
3. More about spirit:
“Spirit-consuming the envelop of its existence—does not merely pass into another envelop, nor rise rejuvenescent from the ashes of its previous form; it comes forth exalted, glorified, a purer spirit. T certainly makes war upon itself-consumes its own existence; but in this very destruction it works up that existence into a new form, and each successive phase becomes in its turn a material, working on which it exalts itself to a new grade.” (p. 73) In the Spirit of a nation, the individual takes on a place in the world, is something, when one appropriates to oneself or exhibits in one’s character and capability of the Spirit of the nation.
4. Geographical Basis of History: “In the Frigid and Torrid zone the locality of World-Historical peoples cannot be found.” (p. 80) This is due to the power of climatic extremes preventing a higher level of consciousness where Spirit is considered for itself. The true theater of history is the North Temperate Zone. The South Temperate Zone is too diverse with to many broken up landmasses. As regards Native Americans, “a mild passionless disposition, want of spirit, and a crouching submissiveness toward a Creole, and still more towards a European, are the chief characteristics of the native Americans; and it will be long before the Europeans succeed in producing any independence of feeling in them. The inferiority of these individuals in all respects, even in regard to size is manifest . . . . “ (p. 81)
As regards Topography, the Uplands provide the context for patriarchical life, the Valley Plains a context for well-organized, large kingdoms based upon agriculture. Coast Land a context for daring and a sense of the infinite and Europe a context for a mixture of these elements. As regards Africa, Hegel writes, “The Negroes indulge, therefore, hat perfect contempt for humanity, which in its bearing on Justice and Morality is the fundamental characteristic of the race. The have moreover no knowledge of the immortality of the soul, although specters are supposed to appear. The undervaluing of humanity among them reaches an incredible degree of intensity. Tyranny is regarded as no wrong, and cannibalism is looked upon as quire customary and proper.” (p. 95) Hegel adds, “To this want of regard for life must be ascribed the great courage, supported by enormous bodily strength, exhibited by the Negroes, who allows themselves to be show down by thousands in war with Europeans.” (p. 96) Further, “political constitution, we shall see that the entire nature of this race is such as to preclude the existence of any such arrangement. The standpoint of humanity at this grade is mere sensuous volition with energy of will; since universal spiritual laws . . . cannot be recognized here.” (96) Hegel concludes, “AT this point we leave Africa, not to mention it again. For it is no historical part of the World; it has no movement or development to exhibit. (99)
