Page:Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion volume 2.djvu/141

 2. But what is the more definite determination connected with the idea of wisdom? It is, to begin with, undetermined so far as the end is concerned. We do not as yet know of what it consists, what the ends of this Power are, and do not go beyond the undefined phrase, the wisdom of God. God is wise, but what are His ways, His ends? In order that we may be able to say what they are, the ends must be already before us in all their determinateness and definiteness, i.e., in their development as a distinction of moments. So far we have here only determination in accordance with ends in general.

3. Since God is above all things real, we cannot, in considering Him, stop short at this indeterminateness in wisdom. The ends must be determined. God as subject manifests Himself, acts, which means that He comes forward into actual existence, into reality. At an earlier stage the unity of infinitude and finitude was regarded as simply immediate, and was thus the first and best of finite things, sun, hill, river, &c., and the reality was of an immediate kind. Here it is also necessary that God be in a definite place, i.e., that His end be definite and determined.

In reference to the reality of the end there are two points which call for notice. The first is contained in the question, What is the sphere in which this end can be present? The end, as being something inward, is merely subjective, is only thought or idea. God, however, as subjective Power, is not simply will, intention, &c., but rather immediate Cause. This sphere of the realisation of the actual existence of the end is self-consciousness or the finite spirit. End is determination in general, and here we have determinations which are merely abstract and not as yet developed. The finite spirit is accordingly the sphere in which the divine end shows itself. Since it is only now that we first reach the thought of the determination of wisdom in general,