phenomenology of mind-第106章

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excellence；　and　in　the　foretaste　and　hope　of　a　happiness　to　come。

No　act　can　escape　being　judged　in　such　a　way；　for　〃duty　for　duty's　sake〃；　this　pure　purpose；　is
something　unreal。　What　reality　it　has　lies　in　the　deed　of　some　individuality；　and　the　action　thereby
has　in　it　the　aspect　of　particularity。　No　hero　is　a　hero　to　his　valet；　not；　however；　because　the　hero
is　not　a　hero；　but　because　the　valet　is　—　the　valet；　with　whom　the　hero　has　to　do；　not　as　a　hero；
but　as　a　man　who　eats；　drinks；　and　dresses；　who；　in　short；　appears　as　a　private　individual　with
certain　personal　wants　and　ideas　of　his　own。　In　the　same　way；　there　is　no　act　in　which　that　process
of　judgment　cannot　oppose　the　personal　aspect　of　the　individuality　to　the　universal　aspect　of　the
act；　and　play　the　part　of　the　〃moral〃　valet　towards　the　agent。（8）

The　consciousness；　that　so　passes　judgment；　is　in　consequence　itself　base　and　mean；　because　it
divides　the　act　up；　and　produces　and　holds　to　the　act's　self…discordance。　It　is；　furthermore；
hypocrisy；　because　it　gives　out　this　way　of　judging；　not　as　another　fashion　of　being　wicked；　but　as
the　correct　consciousness　of　the　act；　sets　itself　up；　in　its　unreality；　in　this　vanity　of　knowing　well　and
better；　far　above　the　deeds　it　decries；　and　wants　to　find　its　mere　words　without　deeds　taken　for　an
admirable　kind　of　reality。

On　this　account；　then；　putting　itself　on　a　level　with　the　agent　on　whom　it　passes　judgment；　it　is
recognized　by　the　latter　as　the　same　as　himself。　This　latter　does　not　merely　find　himself
apprehended　as　something　alien　to；　and　discordant　with；　that　other：　but　rather　finds　the　other　in　its
peculiar　constitutive　character　identical　with　himself。　Seeing　this　identity　and　giving　this　expression；
he　openly　confesses　himself　to　the　other；　and　expects　in　like　manner　that　the　other；　having　in　point
of　fact　put　itself　on　the　same　level；　will　respond　in　the　same　language；　will　therein　give　voice　to　this
identity；　and　that　thus　the　state　of　mutual　recognition　will　be　brought　about。　His　confession　is　not　an
attitude　of　abasement　or　humiliation　before　the　other；　is　not　throwing　himself　away。　For　to　give　the
matter　expression　in　this　way　has　not　the　one…sided　character　which　would　fix　and　establish　his
disparity　with　the　other：　on　the　contrary；　it　is　solely　because　of　seeing　the　identity　of　the　other　with
him　that　he　gives　himself　utterance。　In　making　his　confession　he　announces；　from　his　side；　their
common　identity；　and　does　so　for　the　reason　that　language　is　the　existence　of　spirit　as　an
immediate　self。　He　thus　expects　that　the　other　will　make　its　own　contribution　to　this　manner　of
existence。

But　the　admission　on　the　part　of　the　one　who　is　wicked；　〃I　am　so〃；　is　not　followed　by　a　reply
making　a　similar　confession。　This　was　not　what　that　way　of　judging　meant　at　all：　far　from　it！　It
repels　this　community　of　nature；　and　is　the　〃hardheartedness〃；　which　keeps　to　itself　and　rejects　all
continuity　with　the　other。　By　so　doing　the　scene　is　changed。　The　one　who　made　the　confession
sees　himself　thrust　off；　and　takes　the　other　to　be　in　the　wrong　when　he　refuses　to　let　his　own　inner
nature　go　forth　in　the　objective　shape　of　an　express　utterance；　when　he　contrasts　the　beauty　of　his
own　soul　with　the　wicked　individual；　and　opposes　to　the　confession　of　the　penitent　the　stiffnecked
attitude　of　the　self…consistent　equable　character；　and　the　rigid　silence　of　one　who　keeps　himself　to
himself　and　refuses　to　throw　himself　away　for　some　one　else。　Here　we　find　asserted　the　highest
pitch　of　revolt　to　which　a　spirit　certain　of　itself　can　reach。　For　it　beholds　itself；　qua　this　simple
self…knowledge；　in　another　conscious　being；　and　in　such　a　way　that　even　the　external　form　of　this
other　is　not　an　unessential　〃thing〃；　as　in　the　case　of　an　object　of　wealth；　but　thought；　knowledge
itself　is　what　is　held　opposed　to　it。　It　is　this　absolutely　fluid　continuity　of　pure　knowledge　which
refuses　to　establish　communication　with　an　other；　which　had；　ipso　facto；　by　making　its　confession；
renounced　separate　isolated　self…existence；　had　affirmed　its　particularity　to　be　cancelled；　and
thereby　established　itself　as　continuous　with　the　other；　i。e。　established　itself　as　universal。　The　other
however；　in　its　own　case　reserves　for　itself　its　uncommunicative；　isolated　independence：　in　the　case
of　the　individual　confessing；　it　reserves　for　him　the　very　same　independence；　though　the　latter　has
already　cast　that　away。　It　thereby　proves　itself　to　be　a　form　of　consciousness　which　is　forsaken　by
and　denies　the　very　nature　of　spirit；　for　it　does　not　understand　that　spirit；　in　the　absolute　certainty
of　itself；　is　master　and　lord　over　every　deed；　and　over　all　reality；　and　can　reject　and　cast　them　off
and　make　them　as　if　they　had　never　been。　At　the　same　time；　it　does　not　see　the　contradiction　it　is
committing　in　not　allowing　a　rejection；　which　has　been　made　in　express　language；　to　pass　for
genuine　rejection；　while　itself　has　the　certainty　of　its　own　spiritual　life；　not　in　a　concrete　real　act；　but
in　its　inner　nature；　and　finds　the　objective　existence　of　this　inner　being　in　the　language　of　its　own
judgment。　It　is　thus　its　own　self　which　checks　that　other's　return　from　the　act　to　the　spiritual
objectivity　of　language；　and　to　spiritual　identity；　and　by　its　harshness　produces　the　discordance
which　still　remains。

Now；　so　far　as　the　spirit　which　is　certain　of　itself；　in　the　form　of　a　〃beautiful　soul〃；　does　not　possess
the　strength　to　relinquish　the　self…absorbed　uncommunicative　knowledge　of　itself；　it　cannot　attain　to
any　identity　with　the　consciousness　that　is　repulsed；　and　so　cannot　succeed　in　seeing　the　unity　of　its
self　in　another　life；　cannot　reach　objective　existence。　The　identity　comes　about；　therefore；　merely　in
a　negative　way；　as　a　state　of　being　devoid　of　spiritual　character。　The　〃beautiful　soul〃；　then；　has　no
concrete　reality；　it　subsists　in　the　contradiction　between　its　pure　self　and　the　necessity　felt　by　this
self　to　externalize　itself　and　turn　into　something　actual；　it　exists　in　the　immediacy　of　this　rooted　and
fixed　opposition；　an　immediacy　which　alone　is　the　middle　term　reconciling　an　opposition　which　has
been　intensified　to　its　pure　abstraction；　and　is　pure　being　or　empty　nothingness。　Thus　the　〃beautiful
soul〃；　being　conscious　of　this　contradiction　in　its　unreconciled　immediacy；　is　unhinged；　disordered；
and　runs　to　madness；　wastes　itself　in　yearning；　and　pines　away　in　consumption。（9）　Thereby　it　gives
up；　as　a　fact；　its　stubborn　insistence　on　its　own　isolated　self…existence；　but　only　to　bring　forth　the
soulless；　spiritless　unity　of　abstract　being。

The　true；　that　is　to　say　the　self…conscious　and　actual　adjustment　of　the　two　sides　is　necessitated　by；
and　already　contained　in　the　foregoing。　Breaking　the　hard　heart　and　raising　it　to　the　level　of
universality　is　the　same　process　which　was　expressed　in　the　case　of　the　consciousness　that　openly
made　its　confession。　The　wounds　of　the　spirit　heal　and　leave　no　scars　behind。　The　deed　is　not　the
imperishable　element；　spirit　takes　it　back　into　itself；　and　the　aspect　of　individuality　present　in　it；
whether　in　the　form　of　an　intention　or　of　an　existential　negativity　and　limitation；　is　that　which
immediately　passes　away。　The　self　which　realizes；　i。e。　the　form　of　the　spirit's　act；　is　merely　a
moment　of　the　whole；　and　the　same　is　true　of　the　knowledge　functioning　through　judgment；　and
establishing　and　maintaining　the　distinction　between　the　individual　and　universal　aspects　of　action。
The　evil　consciousness；　above　spoken　of；　affirms　this　externalization　of　itself　or　asserts　itself　as　a
moment；　being　drawn　into　the　way　of　express　confession　by　seeing　itself　in　another。　This　other；
however；　must　have　its　onesided；　unaccepted　and　unacknowledged　judgment　broken　down；　just
as　the　former　has　to　abandon　its　onesided　unacknowledged　existence　in　a　state　of　particularity　and
isolation。　And　as　the　former　displays　the　power　of　spirit　over　its　reality；　so　this　other　must　manifest
the　power　of　spirit　over　its　constitutive；　determinate　notion。

The　latter；　however；　renounces　the　thought　that　divides　and　separates；　and　the　harshness　of　the
self…existence　which　holds　to　such　thought；　for　the　reason　that；　in　point　of　fact；　it　sees　itself　in　the
first。　That　which；　in　this　way；　abandons　its　reality　and　makes　itself　into　a　superseded　particular
〃this〃　（Diesen）；　displays　itself　thereby　as；　in　fact；　universal。　It　turns　away　from　its　external　reality
back　into　itself　as　inner　essence；　and　there　the　universal　consciousness　thus　knows　and　finds　itself。

The　forgiveness　it　extends　to　the　first　is　the　renunciation　of　self；　of　its　unreal　essence；　since　it
identifies　with　this　essence　that　other　which　was　real　action；　and　recognizes　what　was　called　bad
—　a　determination　assigned　to　action　by　thought　—　to　be　good；　or　rather　it　lets　go　and　gives　up　this
distinction　of　determinate　thought　with　its　self…existent　determining　judgment；　just　as　the　other
forgoes　determining　the　act　in　isolation　and　for　its　own　private　behoof。　The　word　of　reconciliation
is　the　objectively　existent　spirit；　which　immediately　apprehends　the　pure　knowledge　of　itself　qua
universal　essence　in　its　opposite；　in　the　pure　knowledge　of　itself　qua　absolutely　self…confined　single
individual　—　a　reciprocal　recognition　which　is　Absolute　Spirit。

Absolute　Spirit　enters　existence　merely　at　the　culminating　point　at　which　its　pure　knowledge　about
itself　is　the　opposition　and　interchange　with　itself。　Knowing　that　its　pure　knowledge　is　the　abstract
essential　reality；　Absolute　Spirit　is　this　knowing　duty　in　absolute　opposition　to　the　knowledge
which　knows　itself；　qua　absolute　singleness　of　self；　to　be　the　essentially　real。　The　former　is　the
pure　continuity　of　the　universal；　which　knows　the　individuality；　that　knows　itself　the　real；　to　be
inherently　naught；　to　be　evil。　The　latter；　again；　is　absolute　discreteness；　which　knows　itself　absolute
in　its　pure　oneness；　and　knows　the　universal　is　the　unreal　which　exists　only　for　others。　Both　aspects
are　refined　and　clarified　to　this　degree　of　purity；　where　there　is　no　self…less　existence　left；　no
negative　of　consciousness　in　either　of　them；　where；　instead；　the　one　element　of　〃duty〃　is　the
self…identical　character　of　its　self…knowledge；　and　the　other　element　of　〃evil〃　equally　has　its
purpose　in　its　own　inner　being　and　its　reality　in　its　own　mode　of　utterance。　The　content　of　this
utterance　is　the　substance　that　gives　this　spirit　subsistence；　the　utterance　is　the　assurance　of　the
certainty　of　spirit　within　its　own　self。

These　spirits；　both　certain　of　themselves；　have　each　no　other　purpose　than　its　own　pure　self；　and
no　other　reality　and　existence　than　just　this　pure　self。　But　they　are　still　different；　and　the　difference
is　absolute；　because　holding　within　this　element　of　the　pure　notion。　The　difference　is　absolute；　too；
not　merely　for　us　＇tracing　the　experience＇；　but　for　the　notions　themselves　which　stand　in　this
opposition。　For　while　these　notions　are　indeed　determinate　and　specific　relatively　to　one　another；
they　are　at　the　same　time　in　themselves　universal；　so　that　they　fill　out　the　whole　range　of　the　self；
and　this　self　has　no　other　content　than　this　its　own