phenomenology of mind-第116章

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previously　multiform　circle　of　gods；　with　its　wavering　and　unsteady　characteristics；　confines　itself　to
these　powers；　which　owing　to　this　feature　are　brought　closer　to　individuality　proper。　For　the
previous　dispersion　of　the　whole　into　manifold　abstract　forces；　which　appear　hypostatized；　is　the
dissolution　of　the　subject　which　comprehends　them　merely　as　moments　in　its　self；　and　individuality
is　therefore　only　the　superficial　form　of　these　entities。　Conversely；　a　further　distinction　of　characters
than　that　just　named　is　to　be　reckoned　as　contingent　and　inherently　external　personality。

At　the　same　time；　the　essential　nature　＇in　the　case　of　ethical　substance＇　gets　divided　in　its　form；　i。e。
with　respect　to　knowledge。　Spirit　when　acting；　appears；　qua　consciousness；　over　against　the
object　on　which　its　activity　is　directed；　and　which；　in　consequence；　is　determined　as　the　negative　of
the　knowing　agent。　The　agent　finds　himself　thereby　in　the　opposition　of　knowing　and　not　knowing。
He　takes　his　purpose　from　his　own　character；　and　knows　it　to　be　essential　ethical　fact；　but　owing
to　the　determinateness　of　his　character；　he　knows　merely　the　one　power　of　substance；　the　other
remains　for　him　concealed　and　out　of　sight。　The　present　reality；　therefore；　is　one　thing　in　itself；　and
another　for　consciousness。　The　higher　and　lower　right　come　to　signify　in　this　connexion　the　power
that　knows　and　reveals　itself　to　consciousness；　and　the　power　concealing　itself　and　lurking　in　the
background。　The　one　is　the　aspect　of　light；　the　god　of　the　Oracle；　who　as　regards　its　natural
aspect　＇Light＇　has　sprung　from　the　all…illuminating　Sun；　knows　all　and　reveals　all；　Ph？bus　and　Zeus；
who　is　his　Father。　But　the　commands　of　this　truth…speaking　god；　and　his　proclamations　of　what　is；
are　really　deceptive　and　fallacious。　For　this　knowledge　is；　in　its　very　principle；　directly　not
knowledge；　because　consciousness　in　acting　is　inherently　this　opposition。　He；（4）　who　had　the
power　to　unlock　the　riddle　of　the　sphinx；　and　he　too　who　trusted　with　childlike　confidence；（5）　are；
therefore；　both　sent　to　destruction　through　what　the　god　reveals　to　them。　The　priestess；　through
whose　mouth　the　beautiful　god　speaks；（6）　is　in　nothing　different　from　the　equivocal　sisters　of　fate；（7）
who　drive　their　victim　to　crime　by　their　promises；　and　who；　by　the　double…tongued；　equivocal
character　of　what　they　gave　out　as　a　certainty；　deceive　the　King　when　he　relies　upon　the　manifest
and　obvious　meaning　of　what　they　say。　There　is　a　type　of　consciousness　that　is　purer　than　the
latter（8）　which　believes　in　witches；　and　more　sober；　more　thorough；　and　more　solid　than　the　former
which　puts　its　trust　in　the　priestess　and　the　beautiful　god。　This　type　of　consciousness；（9）　therefore；
lets　his　revenge　tarry　for　the　revelation　which　the　spirit　of　his　father　makes　regarding　the　crime　that
did　him　to　death；　and　institutes　other　proofs　in　addition　—　for　the　reason　that　the　spirit　giving　the
revelation　might　possibly　be　the　devil。

This　mistrust　has　good　grounds；　because　the　knowing　consciousness　takes　its　stand　on　the
opposition　between　certainty　of　itself　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　objective　essential　reality　on　the
other。　Ethical　rightness；　which　insists　that　actuality　is　nothing　per　se　in　opposition　to　absolute　law；
finds　out　that　its　knowledge　is　onesided；　its　law　merely　a　law　of　its　own　character；　and　that　it　has
laid　hold　of　merely　one　of　the　powers　of　the　substance。　The　act　itself　is　this　inversion　of　what　is
known　into　its　opposite；　into　objective　existence；　turns　round　what　is　right　from　the　point　of　view
of　character　and　knowledge　into　the　right　of　the　very　opposite　with　which　the　former　is　bound　up
in　the　essential　nature　of　the　substance　—　turns　it　into　the　〃Furies〃　who　embody　the　right　of　the
other　power　and　character　awakened　into　hostility。　The　lower　right　sits　with　Zeus　enthroned；　and
enjoys　equal　respect　and　homage　with　the　god　revealed　and　knowing。

To　these　three　supernatural　Beings　the　world　of　the　gods　of　the　chorus　is　limited　and　restricted　by
the　acting　individuality。　The　one　is　the　substance；　the　power　presiding　over　the　hearth　and　home
and　the　spirit　worshipped　by　the　family；　as　well　as　the　universal　power　pervading　state　and
government。　Since　this　distinction　belongs　to　the　substance　as　such；　it　is；　when　dramatically
presented；　not　individualized　in　two　distinct　shapes　＇of　the　substance＇；　but　has　in　actual　reality　the
two　persons　of　its　characters。　On　the　other　hand；　the　distinction　between　knowing　and　not
knowing　falls　within　each　of　the　actual　self…consciousnesses；　and　only　in　abstraction；　in　the　element
of　universality；　does　it　get　divided　into　two　individual　shapes。　For　the　self　of　the　hero　only　exists　as
a　whole　consciousness；　and　hence　includes　essentially　the　whole　of　the　distinction　belonging　to　the
form；　but　its　substance　is　determinate；　and　only　one　side　of　the　content　distinguished　belongs　to
him。　Hence　the　two　sides　of　consciousness；　which　have　m　concrete　reality　no　separate　individuality
peculiarly　their　own；　receive；　when　ideally　represented；　each　its　own　particular　form：　the　one　that
of　the　god　revealed；　the　other　that　of　the　Furies　keeping　themselves　concealed。　In　part　both　enjoy
equal　honour；　while　again；　the　form　assumed　by　the　substance；　Zeus；　is　the　necessity　of　the　relation
of　the　two　to　one　another。　The　substance　is　the　relation　＇1＇　that　knowledge　is　for　itself；　but　finds　its
truth　in　what　is　simple；　＇2＇　that　the　distinction；　through　and　in　which　actual　consciousness　exists；
has　its　basis　in　that　inner　being　which　destroys　it；　＇3＇　that　the　clear　conscious　assurance　of　certainty
has　its　confirmation　in　forgetfulness。

Consciousness　disclosed　this　opposition　by　action；　through　doing　something。　Acting　in　accordance
with　the　knowledge　revealed；　it；　finds　out　the　deceptiveness　of　that　knowledge；　and　being
committed；　as　regards　its　inner　nature。；　to　one　of　the　attributes　of　substance；　it　did　violence　to　the
other　and　thereby　gave　the　latter　right　as　against　itself。　When　following　that　god　who　knows　and
reveals　himself；　it　really　seized　hold　of　what　is　not　revealed；　and　pays　the　penalty　for　having　trusted
the　knowledge；　whose　equivocal　character　（since　this　is　its　very　nature）　it　also　had　to　discover；
and　an　admonition　thereanent　to　be　given。　The　frenzy　of　the　priestess；　the　inhuman　shape　of　the
witches；　the　voices　of　trees　and　birds；　dreams；　and　so　on；　are　not　ways　in　which　truth　appears；
they　are　admonitory　signs　of　deception；　of　want　of　judgment；　of　the　individual　and　accidental
character　of　knowledge。　Or；　what　comes　to　the　same　thing；　the　opposite　power；　which
consciousness　has　violated；　is　present　as　express　law　and　authentic　right；　whether　law　of　the　family
or　law　of　the　state；　while　consciousness；　on　the　other　hand；　pursued　its　own　proper　knowledge；
and　hid　from　itself　what　was　revealed。

The　truth；　however；　of　the　opposing　powers　of　content　and　consciousness　is　the　final　result；　that
both　are　equally　right；　and；　hence；　in　their　opposition　（which　comes　about　through　action）　are
equally　wrong。　The　process　of　action　proves　their　unity　in　the　mutual　overthrow　of　both　powers
and　both　self…conscious　characters。　The　reconciliation　of　the　opposition　with　itself　is　the　Lethe　of
the　nether　world　in　the　form　of　Death…or　the　Lethe　of　the　upper　world　in　the　form　of　absolution；
not　from　guilt　（for　consciousness　cannot　deny　its　guilt；　because　the　act　was　done）；　but　from　the
crime；　and　in　the　form　of　the　peace　of　soul　which　atones　for　the　crime。　Both　are　forgetfulness；　the
disappearance　of　the　reality　and　action　of　the　powers　of　the　substance；　of　their　component
individualities；　and　of　the　powers　of　the　abstract　thought　of　good　and　evil。　For　none　of　them　by
itself　is　the　real　essence：　this　consists　in　the　undisturbed　calm　of　the　whole　within　itself；　the
immovable　unity　of　Fate；　the　quiescent　existence　（and　hence　want　of　activity　and　vitality）　of　the
family　and　government；　and　the　equal　honour　and　consequent　indifferent　unreality　of　Apollo　and
the　Furies；　and　the　return　of　their　spiritual　life　and　activity　into　Zeus　solely　and　simply。

This　destiny　completes　the　depopulation　of　Heaven…of　that　unthinking　blending　of　individuality　and。
ultimate　Being　—　a　blending　whereby　the　action　of　this　absolute　Being　appears　as　something
incoherent；　contingent；　unworthy　of　itself；　for　individuality；　when　attaching　in　a　merely　superficial
way　to　absolute　Being；　is　unessential。　The　expulsion　of　such　unreal　insubstantial　ideas；　which　was
demanded　by　the　philosophers　of　antiquity；　thus　already　has　its　beginning　in　tragedy　in　general；
through　the　fact　that　the　division　of　the　substance　is　controlled　by　the　notion；　and　hence
individuality　is　the　essential　individuality；　and　the　specific　determinations　are　absolute　characters。
The　self…consciousness　represented　in　tragedy　knows　and　acknowledges　on　that　account　only　one
highest　power；　Zeus。　This　Zeus　is　known　and　acknowledged　only　as　the　power　of　the　state　or　of
the　hearth　and　home；　and；　in　the　opposition　belonging　to　knowledge；　merely　as　the　Father　of　the
knowledge　of　the　particular；　—　a　knowledge　assuming　a　figure　in　the　drama：　—　and　again　as　the
Zeus　of　the　oath　and　of　the　Furies；　the　Zeus　of　what　is　universal；　of　the　inner　being　dwelling　in
concealment。　The　further　moments　taken　from　the　notion　（Begriff）　and　dispersed　in　the　form　of
ideal　presentation　（Vorstellung）；　moments　which　the　chorus　permits　to　hold　good　one　after　the
other；　are；　on　the　other　hand；　not　the　〃pathos〃　of　the　hero；　they　sink　to　the　level　of　passions　in　the
hero　—　to　the　level　of　accidental；　insubstantial　moments；　which　the　impersonal　chorus　no　doubt
praises；　but　which　are　not　capable　of　constituting　the　character　of　heroes；　nor　of　being　expressed
and　revered　by　them　as　their　real　nature。

But；　further；　the　persons　of　the　divine　Being　itself；　as　well　as　the　characters　of　its　substance；
coalesce　into　the　simplicity　of　what　is　devoid　of　consciousness。　This　necessity　has；　in　contrast　to
self…consciousness；　the　characteristic　of　being　the　negative　power　of　all　the　shapes　that　appear；　a
power　in　which　they　do　not　recognize　themselves；　but　perish　therein。　The　self　appears　as　merely
allotted　amongst　the　different　characters；　and　not　as　the　mediating　factor　of　the　process。　But
self…consciousness；　the　simple　certainty　of　self；　is　in　point　of　fact　the　negative　power；　the　unity　of
Zeus；　the　unity　of　the　substantial　essence　and　abstract　necessity；　it　is　the　spiritual　unity　into　which
everything　returns。　Because　actual　self…consciousness　is　still　distinguished　from　the　substance　and
fate；　it　is　partly　the　chorus；　or　rather　the　crowd　looking　on；　whom　this　movement　of　the　divine　life
fills　with　fear　as　being　something　alien　and　strange；　or　in　whom　this　movement；　as　something
closely　touching　themselves；　produces　merely　the　emotion　of　passive　pity。　Partly　again；　so　far　as
consciousness　co…operates　and　belongs　to　the　various　characters；　this　alliance　is　of　an　external
kind；　is　a　hypocrisy　—　because　the　true　union；　that　of　self；　fate；　and　substance；　is　not　yet　present。
The　hero；　who　appears　bef　ore　the　onlookers；　breaks　up　into　his　mask　and　the　actor；　into　the
person　of　the　play　and　the　actua