| 2013 | A Short History of German Philosophy |
| 6 | p.89 | 22819 | In the 18th century history came to be seen as progressive, rather than cyclical |
| Full Idea: The turning point in the history of the philosophy of history occurs in the eighteenth century, when the ancient cyclical model of Vico is superseded by the idea of progress. | |||
| From: Vittorio Hösle (A Short History of German Philosophy [2013], 6) | |||
| A reaction: He says that Hegel merely inherited this progressive view, rather than creating it. I'm not sure how widely held the cyclical view was. I don't recognise it in Shakespeare. Science and technology must have suggested progress. |
| 7 | p.107 | 22820 | Early Romantics sought a plurality of systems, in a quest for freedom |
| Full Idea: It was an early Romantic idea that there is necessarily a plurality of systems in which individuality is expressed; for a complete system would destroy freedom. | |||
| From: Vittorio Hösle (A Short History of German Philosophy [2013], 7) | |||
| A reaction: I'm not clear why you are free because you are locked into system that differs from that of other people. True freedom seems to be either no system, or continually remaking one's own system. Why is such freedom valuable? Freedom v truth? |