serve　to　set　aside　many　questions　and　demands　which　might；　from　our　ordinary　prejudices；　arise　in
  such　a　history。
  Introduction
  THERE　are　various　aspects　under　which　the　History　of　Philosophy　may　possess　interest。　We　shall
  find　the　central　point　of　this　interest　in　the　essential　connection　existing　between　what　is　apparently
  past　and　the　present　stage　reached　by　Philosophy。　That　this　connection　is　not　one　of　the　external
  considerations　which　may　be　taken　into　account　in　the　history　of　Philosophy；　but　really　expresses
  its　inner　character：　that　the　events　of　this　history；　while　they　perpetuate　themselves　in　their　effects
  like　all　other　events；　yet　produce　their　results　in　a　special　way…this　it　is　which　is　here　to　be　more
  clearly　expounded。
  What　the　history　of　Philosophy　shows　us　is　a　succession　of　noble　minds；　a　gallery　of　heroes　of
  thought；　who；　by　the　power　of　Reason；　have　penetrated　into　the　being　of　things；　of　nature　and　of
  spirit；　into　the　Being　of　God；　and　have　won　for　us　by　their　labours　the　highest　treasure；　the　treasure
  of　reasoned　knowledge。
  The　events　and　actions　of　this　history　are　therefore　such　that　personality　and　individual　character
  do　not　enter　to　any　large　degree　into　its　content　and　matter。　In　this　respect　the　history　of
  Philosophy　contrasts　with　political　history；　in　which　the　individual；　according　to　the　peculiarity　of
  his　disposition；　talents；　affections；　the　strength　or　weakness　of　his　character；　and　in　general；
  according　to　that　through　which　he　is　this　individual；　is　the　subject　of　actions　and　events。　In
  Philosophy；　the　less　deserts　and　merits　are　accorded　to　the　particular　individual；　the　better　is　the
  history；　and　the　more　it　deals　with　thought　as　free；　with　the　universal　character　of　man　as　man；　the
  more　this　thought；　which　is　devoid　of　special　characteristic；　is　itself　shown　to　be　the　producing
  subject。
  The　acts　of　thought　appear　at　first　to　be　a　matter　of　history；　and；　therefore；　things　of　the　past　and
  outside　our　real　existence。　But　in　reality　we　are　what　we　are　through　history：　or；　more　accurately；
  as　in　the　history　of　Thought；　what　has　passed　away　is　only　one　side；　so　in　the　present；　what　we
  have　as　a　permanent　possession　is　essentially　bound　up　with　our　place　in　history。　The　possession
  of　self…conscious　reason；　which　belongs　to　us　of　the　present　world；　did　not　arise　suddenly；　nor　did
  it　grow　only　from　the　soil　of　the　present。　This　possession　must　be　regarded　as　previously　present；
  as　an　inheritance；　and　as　the　result　of　labour…the　labour　of　all　past　generations　of　men。　Just　as　the
  arts　of　outward　life；　the　accumulated　skill　and　invention；　the　customs　and　arrangements　of　social
  and　political　life；　are　the　result　of　the　thought；　care；　and　needs；　of　the　want　and　the　misery；　of　the
  ingenuity；　the　plans　and　achievements　of　those　who　preceded　us　in　history；　so；　likewise；　in　science；
  and　specially　in　Philosophy；　do　we　owe　what　we　are　to　the　tradition　which；　as　Herder　has　put　it
  （1）　like　a　holy　chain；　runs　through　all　that　was　transient；　and　has　therefore　passed　away。　Thus　has
  been　preserved　and　transmitted　to　us　what　antiquity　produced。
  But　this　tradition　is　not　only　a　stewardess　who　simply　guards　faithfully　that　which　she　has　received；
  and　thus　delivers　it　unchanged　to　posterity；　just　as　the　course　of　nature　in　the　infinite　change　and
  activity　of　its　forms　ever　remains　constant　to　its　original　laws　and　makes　no　step　in　advance。　Such
  tradition　is　no　motionless　statue；　but　is　alive；　and　swells　like　a　mighty　river；　which　increases　in　size
  the　further　it　advances　from　its　source。　The　content　of　this　tradition　is　that　which　the　intellectual
  world　has　brought　forth；　and　the　universal　Mind　does　not　remain　stationary。　But　it　is　just　the
  universal　kind　with　which　we　have　to　do。　It　may　certainly　be　the　case　with　a　single　nation　that　its
  culture；　art；　science…its　intellectual　activities　as　a　whole…are　at　a　standstill。　This　appears；　perhaps；
  to　be　the　case　with　the　Chinese；　for　example；　who　may　have　been　as　far　advanced　in　every
  respect　two　thousand　years　ago　as　now。　But　the　world…spirit　does　not　sink　into　this　rest　of
  indifference；　this　follows　from　its　very　nature；　for　its　activity；　is　its　life。　This　activity　presupposes　a
  material　already　present；　on　which　it　acts；　and　which　it　does　not　merely　augment　by　the　addition　of
  new　matter；　but　completely　fashions　and　transforms。　Thus　that　which　each　generation　has
  produced　in　science　and　in　intellectual　activity；　is　an　heirloom　to　which　all　the　past　generations　have
  added　their　savings；　a　temple　in　which　all　races　of　men　thankfully　and　cheerfully　deposit　that　which
  rendered　aid　to　them　through　life；　and　which　they　had　won　from　the　depths　of　Nature　and　of
  Mind。　To　receive　this　inheritance　is　also　to　enter　upon　its　use。　It　constitutes　the　soul　of　each
  successive　generation；　the　intellectual　substance　of　the　time；　its　principles；　prejudices；　and
  possessions；　and　this　legacy　is　degraded　to　a　material　which　becomes　metamorphosed　by　Mind。
  In　this　manner　that　which　is　received　is　changed；　and　the　material　worked　upon　is　both　enriched
  and　preserved　at　the　same　time。
  This　is　the　function　of　our　own　and　of　every　age：　to　grasp　the　knowledge　which　is　already　existing；
  to　make　it　our　own；　and　in　so　doing　to　develop　it　still　further　and　to　raise　it　to　a　higher　level。　In　thus
  appropriating　it　to　ourselves　we　make　it　into　something　different　from　what　it　was　before。　On　the
  presupposition　of　an　already　existing　intellectual　world　which　is　transformed　in　our　appropriation　of
  it；　depends　the　fact　that　Philosophy　can　only　arise　in　connection　with　previous　Philosophy；　from
  which　of　necessity　it　has　arisen。　The　course　of　history　does　not　show　us　the　Becoming　of　things
  foreign　to　us；　but　the　Becoming　of　ourselves　and　of　our　own　knowledge。
  The　ideas　and　questions　which　may　be　present　to　our　mind　regarding　the　character　and　ends　of　the
  history　of　Philosophy；　depend　on　the　nature　of　the　relationship　here　given。　In　this　lies　the
  explanation　of　the　fact　that　the　study　of　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　an　introduction　to　Philosophy
  itself。　The　guiding　principles　for　the　formation　of　this　history　are　given　in　this　fact；　the　further
  discussion　of　which　must　thus　be　the　main　object　of　this　introduction。　We　must　also；　however；
  keep　in　mind；　as　being　of　fundamental　importance；　the　conception　of　the　aim　of　Philosophy。　And
  since；　as　already　mentioned；　the　systematic　exposition　of　this　conception　cannot　here　find　a　place；
  such　discussion　as　we　can　now　undertake；　can　only　propose　to　deal　with　the　subject　provisionally
  and　not　to　give　a　thorough　and　conclusive　account　of　the　nature　of　the　Becoming　of　Philosophy。
  This　Becoming　is　not　merely　a　passive　movement；　as　we　suppose　movements　such　as　those　of　the
  sun　and　moon　to　be。　It　is　no　mere　movement　in　the　unresisting　medium　of　space　and　time。　What
  we　must　represent　to　ourselves　is　the　activity　of　free　thought；　we　have　to　present　the　history　of　the
  world　of　thought　as　it　has　arisen　and　produced　itself。
  There　is　an　old　tradition　that　it　is　the　faculty　of　thought　which　separates　men　from　beasts；　and　to
  this　tradition　we　shall　adhere。　In　accordance　with　this；　what　man　has；　as　being　nobler　than　a　beast；
  he　has　through　thinking。　Everything　which　is　human；　however　it　may　appear；　is　so　only　because　the
  thought　contained　in　it　works　and　has　worked。　But　thought；　although　it　is　thus　the　essential；
  substantial；　and　effectual；　has　many　other　elements。　We　must；　however；　consider　it　best　when
  Thought　does　not　pursue　anything　else；　but　is　occupied　only　with　itself　…　with　what　is　noblest　…
  when　it　has　sought　and　found　itself。　The　history　which　we　have　before　us　is　the　history　of　Thought
  finding　itself；　and　it　is　the　case　with　Thought　that　it　only　finds　itself　in　producing　itself；　indeed；　that　it
  only　exists　and　is　actual　in　finding　itself。　These　productions　are　the　philosophic　systems；　and　the
  series　of　discoveries　on　which　Thought　sets　out　in　order　to　discover　itself；　forms　a　work　which　has
  lasted　twenty…five　hundred　years。
  If　the　Thought　which　is　essentially　Thought；　is　in　and　for　itself　and　eternal；　and　that　which　is　true　is
  contained　in　Thought　alone；　how；　then；　does　this　intellectual　world　come　to　have　a　history？　In
  history　what　appears　is　transient；　has　disappeared　in　the　night　of　the　past　and　is　no　more。　But　true；
  necessary　thought　…　and　it　is　only　with　such　that　we　have　to　do　…　is　capable　of　no　change。　The
  question　here　raised　constitutes　one　of　those　matters　first　to　be　brought　under　our　consideration。
  But　in　the　second　place；　there　are　also　many　most　important　things　outside　of　Philosophy；　which
  are　yet　the　work　of　Thought；　and　which　are　left　unconsidered。　Such　are　Religion；　Political　History；
  forms　of　Government；　and　the　Arts　and　Sciences。　The　question　arises　as　to　how　these　operations
  differ　from　the　subject　of　consideration；　and　how　they　are　related　in　history？　As　regards　these　two
  points　of　view；　it　is　desirable　to　show　in　what　sense　the　history　of　Philosophy　is　here　taken；　in
  order　to　see　clearly　what　we　are　about。　Moreover；　in　the　third　place；　we　must　first　take　a　general
  survey　before　we　descend　to　particulars；　else　the　whole　is　not　seen　for　the　me