phenomenology of mind-第114章

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objective；　and　the　certainty　of　enjoyment；　a　certainty　which　in　religion；　however；　is　not　only
immediate　and　unreflecting；　but　at　the　same　time　purely　cognitive　certainty　of　self。

What　has　thus　been；　through　the　cult；　revealed　to　self…conscious　spirit　within　itself；　is　simple
absolute　Being；　and　this　has　been　revealed　partly　as　the　process　of　passing　out　of　its　dark　night　of
concealment　up　to　the　level　of　consciousness；　to　be　there　its　silently　nurturing　substance；　partly；
however；　as　the　process　of　losing　itself　again　in　nether　darkness；　in　the　self；　and　of　waiting　above
merely　with　the　silent　yearning　of　motherhood。　The　more　conspicuous　moving　impulse；　however；　is
the　variously　named　〃Light〃　of　the　Rising　Sun　and　its　tumult　of　heaving　life；　which；　having　likewise
desisted　from　its　abstract　state　of　being；　has　first　embodied　itself　in　objective　existence　in　the　fruits
of　the　earth；（2）　and　then；　surrendering　itself　to　self…consciousness；（3）　attained　there　to　its　proper
realization；　and　now　it　curvets　and　careers　about　in　the　guise　of　a　crowd　of　excited；　fervid　women；
the　unrestrained　revel　of　nature　in　self…conscious　form。（4）

Still；　however；　it　is　only　Absolute　Spirit　in　the　sense　of　this　simple　abstract　Being；　not　as　spirit　per
se；　that　is　discovered　to　consciousness：　i。e。　it　is　merely　immediate　spirit；　the　spirit　of　nature。　Its
self…conscious　life　is　therefore　merely　the　mystery　of　the　Bread　and　the　Wine；　of　Ceres　and
Bacchus；　not　of　the　other；　the　strictly　higher；　gods　＇of　Olympus＇；　whose　individuality　includes；　as
an　essential　moment；　self…consciousness　as　such。　Spirit　has　not　yet　qua　self…conscious　spirit
offered　itself　up　to　it；　and　the　mystery　of　bread　and　wine　is　not　yet　the　mystery　of　flesh　and　blood。

This　unstable　divine　revel　must　come　to　rest　as　an　object；　and　the　enthusiasm；　which　did　not　reach
consciousness；　must　produce　a　work　which　confronts　it　as　the　statue　stands　over　against　the
enthusiasm　of　the　artist　in　the　previous　case；　—　a　work　indeed　that　is　equally　complete　and
finished；　yet　not　as　an　inherently　lifeless　but　as　a　living　self。　Such　a　cult　is　the　Festival　which　man
makes　in　his　own　honour；　though　not　yet　imparting　to　a　cult　of　that　kind　the　significance　of　the
Absolute　Being；　for　it　is　the　ultimate　Being　that　is　first　revealed　to　him；　not　yet　Spirit　—　not　such　a
Being　as　essentially　takes　on　human　form。　But　this　cult　provides　the　basis　for　this　revelation；　and
lays　out　its　moments　individually　and　separately。　Thus　we　here　get　the　abstract　moment　of　the
living　embodiment　of　ultimate　Being；　just　as　formerly　we　had　the　unity　of　both　in　the　state　of
unconstrained　emotional　fervency。　In　the　place　of　the　statue　man　thus　puts　himself　as　the　figure
elaborated　and　moulded　for　perfectly　free　movement；　just　as　the　statue　is　the　perfectly　free　state　of
quiescence。　If　every　individual　knows　how　to　play　the　part　at　least　of　a　torchbearer；　one　of　them
comes　prominently　forward　who　is　the　very　embodiment　of　the　movement；　the　smooth
elaboration；　the　fluent　energy　and　force　of　all　the　members。　He　is　a　lively　and　living　work　of　art；
which　matches　strength　with　its　beauty；　and　to　him　is　given；　as　a　reward　for　his　force　and　energy；
the　adornment；　with　which　the　statue　was　honoured　＇in　the　former　type　of　religion＇；　and　the　honour
of　being；　amongst　his　own　nation；；　instead　of　a　god　in　stone；　the　highest　bodily　representation　of
what　the　essential　Being　of　the　nation　is。

In　both　the　representations；　which　have　just　come　before　us；　there　is　present　the　unity　of
self…consciousness　and　spiritual　Being；　but　they　still　lack　their　due　balance　and　equilibrium。　In　the
case　of　the　bacchic（5）　revelling　enthusiasm　the　self　is　beside　itself；　in　bodily　beauty　of　form　it　is
spiritual　Being　that　is　outside　itself。　The　dim　obscurity　of　consciousness　in　the　one　case　and　its　wild
stammering　utterance；　must　be　taken　up　into　the　transparent　existence　of　the　latter；　and　the　clear
but　spiritless　form　of　the　latter；　into　the　emotional　inwardness　of　the　former。　The　perfect　element　in
which　the　inwardness　is　as　external　as　the　externality　is　inward；　is　once　again　Language。　But　it　is
neither　the　language　of　the　oracle；　entirely　contingent　in　its　content　and　altogether　individual　in
character；　nor　is　it　the　emotional　hymn　sung　in　praise　of　a　merely　individual　god；　nor　is　it　the
meaningless　stammer　of　delirious　bacchantic　revelry。　It　has　attained　to　its　clear　and　universal
content　and　meaning。　Its　content　is　clear；　for　the　artificer　has　passed　out　of　the　previous　state　of
entirely　substantial　enthusiasm；　and　worked　himself　into　a　definite　shape；　which　is　his　own　proper
existence；　permeated　through　all　its　movements　by　self…conscious　soul；　and　is　that　of　his
contemporaries。　Its　content　is　universal；　for　in　this　festival；　which　is　to　the　honour　of　man；　there
vanishes　the　onesidedness　peculiar　to　figures　represented　in　statues；　which　merely　contain　a
national　spirit；　a　determinate　character　of　the　godhead。　The　finely　built　warrior　is　indeed　the　honour
and　glory　of　his　particular　nation；　but　he　is　a　physical　or　corporeal　individuality　in　which　are　sunk
out　of　sight　the　expanse　and　the　seriousness　of　meaning；　and　the　inner　character　of　the　spirit　which
underlies　the　particular　mode　of　life；　the　peculiar　petitions；　the　needs　and　the　customs　of　his　nation。
In　relinquishing　all　this　for　complete　corporeal　embodiment；　spirit　has　laid　aside　the　particular
impressions；　the　special　tones　and　chords　of　that　nature　which　it；　as　the　actual　spirit　of　the　nation；
includes。　Its　nation；　therefore；　is　no　longer　conscious　in　this　spirit　of　its　special　particular　character；
but　rather　of　having　laid　this　aside；　and　of　the　universality　of　its　human　existence。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　The　〃Light〃　of　the　world。　

2。　As　found　in　the　mysteries　of　Demeter。　

3。　As　found　in　the　mysteries　of　Bacchus　and　Dionysus。　

4。　The　Maenads；　cp。　Euripides；　Bacchae。　

5。　As　distinct　from　the　worship　of　Apollo。　




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Spiritual　Work　of　Art

THE　national　spirits；　which　become　conscious　of　their　being　in　the　shape　of　some　particular
animal；　coalesce　into　one　single　spirit。（1）　Thus　it　is　that　the　separate　artistically　beautiful　national
spirits　combine　to　form　a　Pantheon；　the　element　and　habitation　of　which　is　Language。　Pure　intuition
of　self　in　the　sense　of　universal　human　nature　takes；　when　the　national　spirit　is　actualized；　this　form：
the　national　spirit　combines　with　the　others　（which　with　it　constitute；　through　nature　and　natural
conditions；　one　people）；　in　a　common　undertaking；　and　for　this　task　builds　up　a　collective　nation；
and；　with　that；　a　collective　heaven。　This　universality；　to　which　spirit　attains　in　its　existence；　is；
nevertheless；　merely　this　first　universality；　which；　to　begin　with；　starts　from　the　individuality　of
ethical　life；　has　not　yet　overcome　its　immediacy；　has　not　yet　built　up　a　single　state　out　of　these
separate　national　elements。　The　ethical　life　of　an　actual　national　spirit　rests　partly　on　the　immediate
confiding　trust　of　the　individuals　in　the　whole　of　their　nation；　partly　in　the　direct　share　which　all；　in
spite　of　differences　of　class；　take　in　the　decisions　and　acts　of　its　government。　In　the　union；　not　in
the　first　instance　to　secure　a　permanent　order　but　merely　for　a　common　act；　that　freedom　of
participation　on　the　part　of　each　and　all　is　for　the　nonce　set　aside。　This　first　community　of　life　is；
therefore；　an　assemblage　of　individualities　rather　than　the　dominion　and　control　of　abstract　thought；
which　would　rob　the　individuals　of　their　self…conscious　share　in　the　will　and　act　of　the　whole。

The　assembly　of　national　spirits　constitutes　a　circle　of　forms　and　shapes；　which　now　embraces　the
whole　of　nature；　as　well　as　the　whole　ethical　world。　They　too　are　under　the　supreme　command
rather　than　the　supreme　dominion　of　the　One。　By　themselves；　they　are　the　universal　substances
embodying　what　the　self…conscious　essential　reality　inherently　is　and　does。　This；　however；
constitutes　the　moving　force；　and；　in　the　first　instance；　at　least　the　centre；　with　which　those
universal　entities　are　concerned；　and　which；　to　begin　with；　seems　to　unite　in　a　merely　accidental
way　all　that　they　variously　accomplish。　But　it　is　the　return　of　the　divine　Being　to　self…consciousness
which　already　contains　the　reason　that　self…consciousness　forms　the　centre　for　those　divine　forces；
and　conceals　their　essential　unity　in　the　first　instance　under　the　guise　of　a　friendly　external　relation
between　both　worlds。

The　same　universality；　which　belongs　to　this　content；　attaches　necessarily　also　to　that　form　of
consciousness　in　which　the　content　appears。　It　is　no　longer　the　concrete　acts　of　the　cult；　it　is　an
action　which　is　not　indeed　raised　as　yet　to　the　level　of　the　notion；　but　only　to　that　of　ideas；　the
synthetic　connexion　of　self…conscious　and　external　existence。　The　element　in　which　these　presented
ideas　exist；　language；　is　the　earliest　language；　the　Epic　as　such。；　which　contains　the　universal
content；　at　any　rate　universal　in　the　sense　of　completeness　of　the　world　presented；　though　not　in
the　sense　of　universality　of　thought。　The　Minstrel　is　the　individual　and　actual　spirit　from　whom；　as　a
subject　of　this　world；　it　is　produced；　and　by　whom　it　is　borne。　His　〃pathos〃　is　not　the　deafening
power　of　nature；　but　Mnemosyne；　Recollection；　a　gradually　evolved　inwardness；　the　memory　of
an　essential　mode　of　being　once　directly　present。　He　is　the　organ　and　instrument　whose　content　is
passing　away；　it　is　not　his　own　self　which　is　of　any　account；　but　his　muse；　his　universal　song。　What；
however；　is　present　in　fact；　has　the　form　of　an　inferential　process；　where　the　one　extreme　of
universality；　the　world　of　gods；　is　connected　with　individuality；　the　minstrel；　through　the　middle
term　of　particularity。　The　middle　term　is　the　nation　in　its　heroes；　who　are　individual　men　like　the
minstrel；　but　only　ideally　presented；　and　thereby　at　the　same　time　universal　like　the　free　extreme　of
universality；　the　gods。

In　this　Epic；　then；　what　is　inherently　established　in　the　cult；　the　relation　of　the　divine　to　the　human；
is　set　forth　and　displayed　as　a　whole　to　consciousness。　The　content　is　an　〃act〃（2）　of　the　essential
Being　conscious　of　itself。　Acting　disturbs　the　peace　of　the　substance；　and　awakens　the　essential
Being；　and　by　so　doing　its　simple　unity　is　divided　into　parts；　and　opened　up　into　the　manifold　world
of　natural　powers　and　ethical　forces。　The　act　is　the　violation　of　the　peaceful　earth；　it　is　the　trench
which；　vivified　by　the　blood　of　the　living；　calls　forth　the　spirits　of　the　departed；　who　are　thirsting　for
life；　and　who　receive　it　in　the　action　of　self…consciousness。（3）　There　are　two　sides　to　the　business
the　universal　activity　is　concerned　to　accomplish：　the　side　of　the　self…in　virtue　of　which　it　is　brought
about　by　a　collection　of　actual　nations　with　the　prominent　individualities　at　the　head　of　them；　and
the　side　of　the　universal　—　in　virtue　of　which　it　is　brought　about　by　their　substantial　forces。　The
relation　of　the　two；　however；　took；　as　we　saw　just　now；　the　character　of　being　the　synthetic
connexion　of　universal　and　individual；　i。e。　of　being　a　process　of　ideal　presen