Lectures on the Philosophy of History

the Reformation and its effects are excluded from consideration. Furthermore, Vico attempts to discuss the basic elements of human intelligence—Language, Poetry, and Homer. As a legal scholar, he dives deep into the study of Roman Law to investigate its origins. However, the main flow of his thought, including its various side-stories, the expansion of his ideas, and his return to core principles, is frequently interrupted. He tends to get sidetracked by searching for word origins original: "etymologies" and providing linguistic explanations. These diversions often slow down and disrupt his analysis of the most important parts of historical development. Consequently, most readers are discouraged by this difficult writing style and fail to grasp the profound truths it contains. These truths are not obvious on the surface, and like gold hidden in waste material original: "dross", they are often discarded along with the clutter that hides them.

In Herder, we find excellent qualities that are missing in Vico. Herder was a poet himself, and he approached History with a poetic spirit. Furthermore, he does not slow the reader down with introductory investigations into the "entrances" original: "vestibules" of History—such as Poetry, Art, Language, and Law. Instead, he begins immediately with the influence of climate and geography. Moreover, the entire field of History is open to him. His liberal Protestant and global perspective gives him insight into many different cultures and viewpoints, allowing him to move far beyond traditional ideas.

At times, he finds exactly "the right word" with wonderful grace. Although his theories are based on a goal-oriented teleological: the belief that history or nature is moving toward a specific purpose or end principle, this does not stop him from appreciating the world's diversity. When comparing different historical periods, he cleverly notes how they resemble the different stages of a human life.

However, his work Ideas for a Philosophy of the History of Mankind contradicts its own title. Not only does he ignore all metaphysical metaphysics: the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, and time categories, but his writing is actually driven by a strong dislike for metaphysics. Therefore, in Herder's hands, the Philosophy of History is disconnected from its proper foundation. It is highly intellectual and often striking, but it is also a flawed "argument" original: "raisonnement". It is a "justification of God's ways" original: "Theodicæa" (Theodicy) based more on emotion and common sense than on pure reason. This separation from its philosophical roots leads to an over-excitement that often blocks his train of thought. He frequently resorts to exclamations of wonder rather than the rigorous mental effort required to prove a point through logic. The theologian, the