Chapter 4 Opening speech at the University of Berlin

Opening Address at the University of Berlin, October 22, 1818 Gentlemen: Today, at the invitation of His Majesty the King, I came to this university for the first time to perform my duties as a philosophy teacher.Let me start by saying a few words, that I am extremely honored and delighted to have the opportunity at this time to assume a position of great utility to the College. For the time being, it seems that the case has come when philosophy has had an interesting and intriguing prospect, and that this almost depressing science may be able to revive other voices.Because a short time ago, on the one hand, due to the hardships of the times, people paid too much attention to the trivial matters of daily life; the whole situation.These tasks occupy all the spiritual faculties, all the forces of the people of all classes, and external means, so that our spiritual inner life cannot win peace.The spirit of the world is too busy with reality, too busy with the outside world, instead of returning to the heart, turning back to itself, so as to roam freely in its own original homeland.Now that the burden of the current of reality has gradually lightened, and the Germanic peoples have saved their state, the source of all living and meaningful life, the time has come when, in the state, apart from the governance of the real world, The free world of thought will also flourish independently.Generally speaking, the powers of the mind have gained such a vast effect in time that what can be preserved at present is, so to speak, only the Idea and that which corresponds to the Idea, and what can be effective must be found in the power of perception and thought. Proved earlier.This country in particular, on which we now rest, by virtue of its highly developed spiritual powers, which raises its weight in the real world and in political events, is already equal in strength and independence to those which have outperformed our country in external means. countries are on an equal footing.This shows that the flowering of education and science is itself a major link in the life of the state.Since our university is the center of the university, philosophy must be respected and given priority to all spiritual education, the center of all science and truth, and philosophy.

Not only that the general spiritual life constitutes an essential link in the existence of the state, but further that the union of the people and the aristocracy is the higher beginning of the great struggle for independence, for freedom, and for the elimination of ruthless tyranny from outside. It is from within the spirit.The moral power of the spirit has fulfilled its potential, and the banner has been hoisted, so that our patriotism and sense of justice have both exerted their power and function in reality.We must appreciate the invaluable passion in which our generation lives, acts, and makes a difference.

And all just, moral, religious sentiments are centered in this passion. —In this wide-ranging operation the spirit is elevated in its dignity, and the rootlessness of life, the frivolity of interests, are thus utterly destroyed.And superficial knowledge and opinions are exposed, so they disappear.This spiritual, emotional, and profound seriousness is also the true foundation of philosophy.What philosophy has to oppose is, on the one hand, the sinking of the mind in the urgent interests of the day, and, on the other hand, the emptiness and superficiality of opinion.Once the mind is occupied by these empty and superficial opinions, reason cannot pursue its own ends, and therefore has no room for action.When people feel the need to strive for substance, and instead think that only that which has substance is valid, this shallow opinion must disappear.But in this substantive content, we see the era, and we see the formation of such a core, which has been entrusted to our era for its extensive development in politics, ethics, religion, and science. .

It is our mission and task to foster the development of its philosophy on the basis of this youthful and powerful substance.This youthfulness of the substantive content is now manifesting its immediate function and expression in political reality, and further in the greater ethical and religious seriousness, in the solidity and thoroughness required of all the relations of life. aspect.The most solid seriousness is itself the seriousness of knowing the truth.This demand—since it distinguishes man's spiritual nature from his mere sensation and life of enjoyment—is also the deepest demand of the mind, which is itself a universal demand.On the one hand, it can be said that the seriousness of the times aroused this profound demand, and on the other hand, it can also be said that this demand is the inherent property of the Germanic spirit.The state of philosophical research and the meaning of the word philosophy can be expressed in terms of the excellent achievements of the Germans in the cultural department of philosophy.In other peoples the term philosophy has been retained, but its meaning has changed, and the essence of philosophy has been corrupted and disappeared, so that almost no memory or premonition of it remains.The science of philosophy has been transferred to us Germans, and will continue to live among the Germans.The responsibility of preserving this sacred light has been entrusted to us. Our mission is to love it, nurture it, and protect it carefully, so that the highest light that human beings have, the consciousness of human nature, will not be extinguished and degraded.

But some time before her birth in Germany, philosophy had become so empty and superficial that philosophy itself thought and believed that it had discovered and proved that there was no knowledge of truth; something unrecognizable.The spirit must rest in religion, and religion must rest in belief, emotion, and foreboding, without the possibility of rational knowledge.Knowledge cannot deal with the absolute and the nature of God, with the truth and absolute essence of nature and spirit, but on the one hand it can only know that which is negative, that is to say, truth is unknowable, only that which is unreal, temporal and Only the ever-changing things can enjoy the right to be known. — On the one hand, only those external, historical accidents belong to the sphere of knowledge, from which alone they are said to derive their imaginary or imaginary knowledge.Moreover, this kind of knowledge can only be regarded as a kind of historical knowledge, and extensive materials must be collected and studied critically from its external aspects, but we cannot get something sincere and serious from its content.Their attitude is quite similar to that of Byratt. When he heard the word truth from Jesus, he asked back: What is truth?What he means is that he has seen through what truth is, he no longer wants to bother with the term, and knows that there is no knowledge of truth in the world.Therefore the renunciation of the knowledge of truth, which from ancient times has been regarded as the most despised and worthless thing, is extolled by our age as the highest spiritual victory.

The desperation for rationality in this era was initially painful and sentimental.But soon religious and ethical frivolity, followed by intellectual vulgarity—what is called the Enlightenment—fell free to admit its incompetence and its obliviousness to higher interests.Finally the so-called Critical Philosophy has taken this ignorance of eternal and sacred objects as conscience, because it has been convinced that it has been proved that we know nothing of eternity, of the divine, of truth.This imaginary knowledge even calls itself philosophy.It is the most popular and most acceptable theory for people with superficial knowledge and shallow personality.For according to this doctrine it is this ignorance, this superficiality which is proclaimed to be the best end and fruit of all intellectual endeavors.

To know not the truth, but only the superficial temporal and accidental,--to know only the vanity, the habit of vanity has been widely cultivated in philosophy, and is even more prevalent in our time, even Also to be boasted.We may well say that never since philosophy began in Germany has this science appeared to have been so bad, to have attained such views, such contempt for rational knowledge, such boasting, such widespread popularity. —This view is still brought over from the previous period, but it is extremely contradictory to the sincere feeling and the spirit of the new substantiality.For the dawn of this sincere spirit, I salute, I hail.What I can do about this spirit is this: because I once advocated that philosophy must have real content, I intend to display this content in front of you.

But I especially appeal to the spirit of youth, because youth is the best period of life, not yet bound by a system of narrow ends that is urgently needed, but also free to engage in scientific work that does not concern one's own interests. ——Youth also have not yet been infected with a false negative spirit and a contentless philosophy that only criticizes labor.A youth of sound mind has the courage to pursue the truth.The realm of truth is the most familiar field of philosophy, and it is also created by philosophy. Through philosophical research, we can share.All the real, great, and holy things in life are true, great, and holy because of ideas.The purpose of philosophy is to grasp the universality and true form of ideas.The natural world is doomed only to use inevitability to complete reason.But the spiritual world is the world of freedom.Everything that maintains human life, is valuable, and feasible is spiritual.The spiritual world can only achieve actual existence through the awareness of truth and justice, and through the grasp of ideas.

I wish and hope that I may earn and be worthy of your trust as we go.But first of all I ask you to trust science, trust reason, trust yourself and trust yourself.The courage to pursue the truth and the belief in the power of the spirit are the first conditions for philosophical research.Man should respect himself, and consider himself worthy of the highest things.The greatness and power of the spirit cannot be underestimated or underestimated. The hidden cosmic essence itself has no strength enough to resist the courage to know. To the intrepid seeker it can only reveal its secrets, and open to him its riches and mysteries for his enjoyment.