HISTORY examines the manifestations¹ of man's free will in connection with the external world in time and in dependence² on cause, that is, defines that freedom by the laws of reason; and so history is only a science in so far as that freedom is defined by those laws.

To history the recognition of the free wills of men as forces able to influence historical events, that is, not subject to laws, is the same as would be to astronomy the recognition of free will in the movements of the heavenly bodies.

This recognition destroys the possibility of the existence of laws, that is, of any science whatever. If there is so much as one body moving at its free will, the laws of Kepler and of Newton are annulled³, and every conception of the movement of the heavenly bodies is destroyed. If there is a single human action due to free will, no historical law exists, and no conception of historical events can be formed.

For history there exist lines of movement of human wills, one extremity⁴ of which vanishes in the unknowable, and at the other extremity of which in space, in time, and in dependence on cause, there moves men's consciousness of free will in the present.

The more this curve of movement is analysed before our eyes, the clearer are the laws of its movement. To discover and define those laws is the problem of history.

From the point of view from which the science of history now approaches its subject, by the method it now follows, seeking the causes of phenomena⁵ in the free will of men, the expression of laws by science is impossible; since however we limit the free will of men, so long as we recognise it as a force not subject to law, the existence of law becomes impossible.

Only limiting this element of free will to infinity⁶, that is, regarding it as an infinitesimal minimum, we are convinced of the complete unattainability of causes, and then, instead of seeking causes, history sees before itself the task of seeking laws.

The seeking of those laws has been begun long ago, and the new lines of thought which history must adopt are being worked out

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1 manifestations
n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）
参考例句：
These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》 To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 dependence
n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属
参考例句：
Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。 He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

3 annulled
v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去
参考例句：
Their marriage was annulled after just six months. 他们的婚姻仅过半年就宣告取消。 Many laws made by the former regime have been annulled. 前政权制定的许多法律被宣布无效。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 extremity
n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度
参考例句：
I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。 What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

5 phenomena
n.现象
参考例句：
Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。 The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

6 infinity
n.无限，无穷，大量
参考例句：
It is impossible to count up to infinity.不可能数到无穷大。 Theoretically,a line can extend into infinity.从理论上来说直线可以无限地延伸。

7 simultaneously
adv.同时发生地，同时进行地
参考例句：
The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。 The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

8 dissecting
v.解剖（动物等）( dissect的现在分词 )；仔细分析或研究
参考例句：
Another group was dissecting a new film showing locally. 另外一批人正在剖析城里上演的一部新电影。 来自辞典例句 Probe into Dissecting Refraction Method Statics Processing under Complicated Surface Conditions. 不同地表条件下土壤侵蚀的坡度效应。 来自互联网

9 forsaking
放弃( forsake的现在分词 )； 弃绝； 抛弃； 摒弃
参考例句：
I will not be cowed into forsaking my beliefs. 我不会因为被恐吓而放弃自己的信仰。 At fourteen he ran away, forsaking his home and friends. 他十四岁出走，离开了家乡和朋友。

10 formulated
v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示
参考例句：
He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 infinitely
adv.无限地，无穷地
参考例句：
There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。 The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。