How did Hippolyte Taine attempt to combine positivism with Hegelian idealism?

Hippolyte Taine attempted to synthesize positivism and Hegelian idealism as part of a broader effort to develop a scientific metaphysics.1

While his positivist approach emphasized empirical observation, the study of causal factors, and the application of the scientific method to the humanities, his interest in Hegelian and Spinozan thought fueled a desire to uncover the "total explanation" of the causal forces governing life and the universe. In his major psychological work, De l’intelligence (On Intelligence), Taine sought to use this scientific metaphysics to identify the final causes of existence. He believed that by applying scientific rigor to metaphysical inquiry, one could achieve a comprehensive understanding of human personality and the underlying nature of reality, which he ultimately framed within an exalted, pantheistic trust in nature.1