phenomenology of mind-第121章

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heirloom　handed　down　by　tradition。　In　this　way　there　is　retained　and　preserved　only　what　is　purely
external　in　belief；　and　the　retention　of　it　as　something　dead　and　devoid　of　knowledge；　while　the
inner　element　in　belief　has　passed　away；　because　this　would　be　the　notion　knowing　itself　as　notion。

The　Absolute　Spirit；　as　pictured　in　the　element　of　pure　essential　Being；　is　not　indeed　the　abstract
pure　essential　Being；　rather；　just　by　the　fact　that　this　is　merely　a　moment　in　the　life　of　Spirit；
abstract　essential　Being　has　sunk　to　the　level　of　a　mere　element　（in　which　Spirit　lives）。　The
representation　of　Spirit　in　this　element；　however；　has　inherently　the　same　defect；　as　regards　form；
which　essential　Being　as　such　has。　Essential　Being　is　abstraction；　and；　therefore；　the　negative　of　its
simplicity；　is　an　other：　in　the　same　way；　Spirit　in　the　element　of　essential　Being　is　the　form　of
simple　unity；　which；　on　that　account；　is　just　as　essentially　a　process　of　becoming　something　else。
Or；　what　is　the　same　thing；　the　relation　of　the　eternal　Being　to　its　self…existence；　（its　objective
existence　for　Itself）；　is　that　of　pure　thought；　an　immediately　simple　relation。　In　this　simple　beholding
of　itself　in　the　Other；　otherness　therefore　is　not　as　such　set　up　independently；　it　is　distinction　in　the
way　of　distinction；　in　pure　thought；　is　immediately　no　distinction…a　recognition　of　Love；　where　lover
and　beloved　are　by　their　very　nature　not　opposed　to　each　other　at　all。　Spirit；　which　is　expressed　in
the　element　of　pure　thought；　is　essentially　just　this：　not　to　be　merely　in　that　element；　but　to　be
concrete；　actual；　for　otherness　itself；　i。e。　cancelling　and　superseding　its　own　pure
thought…constituted　notion；　lies　in　the　very　notion　of　Spirit。

The　element　of　pure　thought；　because　it　is　an　abstract　element；　is　itself　rather　the　other　of　its　own
simplicity；　and　hence　passes　over　into　the　proper　element　of　imagination　—　the　element　where　the
moments　of　the　pure　notion　at　once　acquire　a　substantial　existence　in　opposition　to　each　other　and
are　subjects　as　well；　which　do　not　exist　in　indifference　towards　each　other；　merely　for　a　third；　but；
being　reflected　into　themselves；　break　away　from　one　another　and　stand　confronting　each　other。

Merely　eternal；　or　abstract　Spirit；　then；　becomes　an　other　to　itself：　it　enters　existence；　and；　in　the
first　instance；　enters　immediate　existence。　It　creates　a　World。　This　〃Creation〃　is　the　word　which
pictorial　thought　uses　to　convey　the　notion　itself　in　its　absolute　movement；　or　to　express　the　fact
that　the　simple　which　has　been　expressed　as　absolute；　or　pure　thought；　just　because　it　is　abstract；
is　really　the　negative；　and　hence　opposed　to　itself；　the　other　of　itself；　or　because；　to　state　the　same
in　yet　another　way；　what　is　put　forward　as　essential　Being　is　simple　immediacy；　bare　existence；　but
qua　immediacy　or　existence；　is　without　Self；　and；　lacking　thus　inwardness；　is　passive；　or　exists　for
another。　This　existence　for　another　is　at　the　same　time　a　world。　Spirit；　in　the　character　of　existing
for　another；　is　the　undisturbed　separate　subsistence　of　those　moments　formerly　enclosed　within
pure　thought；　is；　therefore；　the　dissolution　of　their　simple　universality；　and　their　dispersion　into　their
own　particularity。

The　world；　however；　is　not　merely　Spirit　thus　thrown　out　and　dispersed　into　the　plenitude　of
existence　and　the　external　order　imposed　on　it；　for　since　Spirit　is　essentially　the　simple　Self；　this
self　is　likewise　present　therein。　The　world　is　objectively　existent　spirit；　which　is　individual　self；　that
has　consciousness　and　distinguishes　itself　as　other；　as　world；　from　itself。　In　the　way　this　individual
self　is　thus　immediately　established　at　first　it　is　not　yet　conscious　of　being　Spirit；　it　thus　does　not
exist　as　Spirit；　it　may　be　called　〃innocent〃；　but　not　strictly　〃good〃。　In　order　that　in　fact　it　may　be　self
and　Spirit；　it　has　first　to　become　objectively　an　other　to　itself；　in　the　same　way　that　the　Eternal
Being　manifests　itself　as　the　process　of　being　self…identical　in　its　otherness。　Since　this　spirit　is
determined　as　yet　only　as　immediately　existing；　or　dispersed　into　the　diverse　multiplicity　of　its
conscious　life；　its　becoming　〃other〃　means　that　knowledge　concentrates　itself　upon　itself。
Immediate　existence　turns　into　thought；　or　merely　sense…consciousness　turns　round　into
consciousness　of　thought；　and；　moreover；　because　that　thought　has　come　from　immediacy　or　is
conditioned　thought；　it　is　not　pure　knowledge；　but　thought　which　contains　otherness；　and　is；　thus；
the　self…opposed　thought　of　good　and　evil。　Man　is　pictorially　represented　by　the　religious　mind　in
this　way：　it　happened　once　as　an　event；　with　no　necessity　about　it；　that　he　lost　the　form　of
harmonious　unity　with　himself　by　plucking　the　fruits　of　the　tree　of　the　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；
and　was　driven　from　the　state　of　innocence；　from　Paradise；　from　the　garden　with　all　its　creatures；
and　from　nature　offering　its　bounties　without　man's　toil。

Since　this　self…concentration　on　the　part　of　the　existent　consciousness　has　straightway　the
character　of　becoming　discordant　with　itself；　Evil　appears　as　the　first　actual　expression　of　the
self…concentrated　consciousness。　And　because　the　thoughts　of　good　and　evil　are　utterly　opposed；
and　this　opposition　is　not　yet　broken　down；　this　consciousness　is　essentially　and　merely　evil。　At　the
same　time；　however；　owing　to　just　this　very　opposition；　there　is　present　also　the　good
consciousness　opposing　the　one　that　is　evil；　and　again　their　relation　to　each　other。　In　so　far　as
immediate　existence　turns　round　into　thought；　and　self…concentration　is　partly　itself　thought；　while
partly　again　the　transition　to　otherness　on　the　part　of　the　inner　self　（Wesen）；　is　thereby　more
precisely　determined；　—　the　fact　of　becoming　evil　can　be　removed　further　backwards　away　out　of
the　actually　existing　world　and　transferred　to　the　very　earliest　realm　of　thought。　It　may　thus　be　said
that　it　was　the　very　first…born　Son　of　Light　＇Lucifer＇　who；　by　becoming　self…concentrated；　fell；　but
that　in　his　place　another　was　at　once　created。　Such　a　form　of　expression　as　〃fallen〃；　belonging
merely　to　figurative　thought；　and　not　to　the　notion；　just　like　the　term　〃Son〃；　either　（we　may　say）
transmutes　and　lowers　the　moments　of　the　notion　to　the　level　of　imaginative　thought；　or　transfers
pictures　'into　the　realm　of　thought。

In　the　same　way；　it　is　matter　of　indifference　to　coordinate　a　multiplicity　of　other　shapes　and
forms（12）　with　the　simple　thought　of　otherness　in　the　Being　of　the　Eternal；　and　transfer　to　them　that
condition　of　self…concentration。　This　co…ordination　must；　all　the　same；　win　approval；　for　the　reason
that；　through　it；　this　moment　of　otherness　does　express　diversity；　as　it　should　do：　not　indeed　as
plurality　in　general；　but　as　determinate　diversity；　so　that　one　part　is　the　Son；　that　which　is　simple
and　knows　itself　to　be　essential　Being；　while　the　other　part　is　the　abandonment；　the　emptying；　of
self…existence；　and　merely　lives　to　praise　that　Being。　To　this　part　may　then　also　be　assigned　the
resumption　once　again　of　the　self…existence　relinquished；　and　that　〃self…centredness〃　characteristic
of　evil。　In　so　far　as　this　condition　of　otherness　falls　into　two　parts；　Spirit　might；　as　regards　its
moments；　be　more　exactly　expressed　numerically　as　a　Quaternity；　a　four　in　one；　or　（because　the
multiplicity　breaks　up　itself　again　into　two　parts；　viz。　one　part　which　has　remained　good；　the　other
which　has　become　evil）；　might　even　be　expressed　as　a　Quinity。

Counting　the　moments；　however；　can　be　regarded　as　altogether　useless；　since；　for　one　thing；　what
is　distinguished　is　itself　just　as　truly　one　and　single…viz。　The　thought　of　distinction　which　is　only　one
thought…as　the　thought　is　this　element　distinguished；　the　second　over　against　the　first。　For　another
thing　it　is　useless　to　count；　because　the　thought　which　grasps　the　many　in　one　has　to　be　dissolved
out　of　its　universality　and　must　be　distinguished　into　more　than　three　or　four　distinct　components。
This　universality　appears；　in　contrast　to　the　absolute　determinateness　of　the　abstract　unit…the
principle　of　number…as　indeterminateness　in　relation　to　number　as　such；　so　that　in　this　connexion
we　can　speak　only　of　numbers　in　general；　i。e。　not　of　a　specific　number　of　distinctions。　Hence；　in
general；　it　is　here　quite　superfluous　to　think　of　number　and　counting；　just　as；　in　other　connexions；
the　bare　difference　of　magnitude　and　multitude　says　nothing　at　all　and　falls　outside　conceptual
thought。

Good　and　Evil　were　the　specific　distinctions　of　thought　which　we　found。　Since　their　opposition　is
not　yet　broken　down；　and　they　are　represented　as　essential　realities　of　thought；　each　of　them
independent　by　itself；　man　is　the　self　with　no　essential　reality　of　his　own　and　the　mere　ground　which
couples　them　together；　and　on　which　they　exist　and　war　with　one　another。　But　these　universal
powers　of　good　and　evil　belong　all　the　same　to　the　self；　or　the　self　is　their　actuality。　From　this　point
of　view　it　thus　comes　about　that；　as　evil　is　nothing　else　than　the　self…concentration　of　the　natural
existence　of　spirit；　conversely；　good　enters　into　actual　reality　and　appears　as　an　（objectively）
existing　self…consciousness。　That　which；　when　Spirit　is　interpreted　in　terms　of　pure　thought；　is　in
general　merely　hinted　at　as　the　Divine　Being's　transition　into　otherness；　here；　for　figurative　thinking；
comes　nearer　its　realization：　the　realization　is　taken　to　consist　in　the　Divine　Being　〃humbling〃　Itself；
and　renouncing　its　abstract　nature　and　unreality。　The　other　aspect；　that　of　evil；　is　taken　by
imagination　as　an　event　extraneous　and　alien　to　the　Divine　Being：　to　grasp　evil　in　the　Divine　Being
itself　as　the　wrath　of　God…that　is　the　supreme　effort；　the　severest　strain；　of　which　figurative　thought；
wrestling　with　its　own　limitations；　is　capable；　an　effort　which；　since　it　is　devoid　of　the　notion；
remains　a　fruitless　struggle。

The　alienation　of　the　Divine　Nature　is　thus　set　up　in　its　double…sided　form：　the　self　of　Spirit；　and　its
simple　thought；　are　the　two　moments　whose　absolute　unity　is　Spirit　itself。　Its　alienation　with　itself
consists　in　the　two　falling　apart　from　each　other；　and　in　the　one　having　an　unequal　value　as　against
the　other。　This　disparateness　is；　therefore；　twofold　in　character；　and　two　connexions　arise；　which
have　in　common　the　moments　just　given。　In　the　one；　the　Divine　Being　stands　for　what　is　essential；
while　natural　existence　and　the　self　are　unessential　and　are　to　be　cancelled。　In　the　other；　on　the
contrary；　it　is　self…existence　which　passes　for　what　is　essential　and　the　simply　Divine　for
unessential。　Their　mediating；　though　still　empty；　ground　is　existence　in　general；　the　bare　community
of　their　two　moments。

The　dissolution　of　this　opposition　does　not　take　effect　through　the　struggle　between　the　two
elements；　which　are　pictured　as　separate　and　independent　Beings。　Just　in　virtue　of　their
independence　each　must　inherently；　through　its　own　notion；　dissolve　itself　in　itself。　The　struggle
only　takes　place　where　both　cease　to　be　this　mixture　of　thought　and　independent　existence；　and
confront　each　other　merely　as　thoughts。