phenomenology of mind-第122章

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only　takes　place　where　both　cease　to　be　this　mixture　of　thought　and　independent　existence；　and
confront　each　other　merely　as　thoughts。　For　there；　being　determinate　notions；　they　essentially　exist
merely　in　the　relation　of　opposition；　qua　independent；　on　the　other　hand；　they　have　their　essential
nature　outside　their　opposition；　their　movement　is　thus　free；　self…determined；　and　peculiar　to
themselves。　If；　then；　we　consider　the　movement　of　both　as　it　is　in　themselves　—　i。e。　as　it　is
essentially　—　their　movement　starts　only　in　that　one　of　the　two　which　has　the　character　of　being
inherently　essential　as　contrasted　with　the　other。　This　is　pictured　as　a　spontaneous　action；　but　the
necessity　for　its　self…abandonment　lies　in　the　notion　that　what　is　inherently　essential；　and　gets　this
specific　character　merely　through　opposition；　has　just　on　that　account　no　real　independent
subsistence。　Therefore　that　element　which　has　for　its　essence；　not　independent　self…existence；　but
simple　being；　is　what　empties　and　abandons　itself；　gives　itself　unto　death；　and　so　reconciles
Absolute　Being　with　its　own　self。　For　in　this　process　it　manifests　itself　as　spirit：　the　abstract　Being　is
estranged　from　itself；　it　has　natural　existence　and　the　reality　of　an　actual　self。　This　its　otherness；　or
its　being　sensuously　present；　is　taken　back　again　by　the　second　process　of　becoming　〃other〃；　and
is　affirmed　as　superseded；　as　universal。　Thereby　the　Divine　Being　has　come　to　itself　in　the　sphere
of　the　sensuous　present；　the　immediate　existence　of　actual　reality　has　ceased　to　be　something　alien
or　external　to　the　Divine；　by　being　sublated；　universal：　this　death　（of　immediacy）　is　therefore　its
rising　anew　as　spirit。　When　the　self…conscious　Being　cancels　and　transcends　its　immediate　present；
it　is　as　universal　self…consciousness。　This　notion　of　the　transcended　individual　self　which　is
Absolute　Being；　immediately　expresses　therefore　the　establishment　of　a　communion　which；　while
hitherto　having　its　abode　in　the　sphere　of　pictorial　thought；　now　returns　into　itself　as　the　Self：　and
Spirit　thus　passes　from　the　second　element　constituting　it；　—　figurative　thought　—　and　goes　over　to
the　third…self…consciousness　as　such。

If　we　further　consider　the　kind　of　procedure　that　pictorial　thinking　adopts　as　it　goes　along；　we　find
in　the　first　place　the　expression　that　the　Divine　Being　〃takes　on〃　human　nature。　Here　it　is　eo　ipso
asserted　that　implicitly　and　inherently　the　two　are　not　separate：　just　as　in　the　statement；　that　the
Divine　Being　from　the　beginning　empties　Itself　of　Itself；　that　its　objective　existence　becomes
concentrated　in　Itself　and　becomes　evil；　it　is　not　asserted　but　implied　that　per　se　this　evil　existence
is　not　something　alien　to　the　Divine　nature。　Absolute　Being　would　be　merely　an　empty　name　if　in
very　truth　there　were　any　other　being　external　to　it；　if　there　were　a　〃fall〃'　from　it。　The　aspect　of
self…concentration　really　constitutes　the　essential　moment　of　the　self　of　Spirit。

That　this　self…centredness；　whence　primarily　comes　its　reality；　belongs　to　the　Divine　Being　—　while
this　is　for　us　a　notion；　and　so　as　far　as　it　is　a　notion；　—　appears　to　pictorial　thinking　as　an
inconceivable　happening。　The　inherent　and　essential　nature　assumes　for　figurative　thought　the　form
of　an　indifferent　objective　fact。　The　thought；　however；　that　those　apparently　mutually　repugnant
moments；　absolute　Being　and　self…existent　Self；　are　not　inseparable；　comes　also　before　this
figurative　way　of　thinking　（since　it　does　possess　the　real　content）；　but　that　thought　appears
afterwards；　in　the　form　that　the　Divine　Being　empties　Itself　of　Itself　and　is　made　flesh。　This
figurative　idea；　which　in　this　manner　is　still　immediate　and　hence　not　spiritual；　i。e。　it　knows　the
human　form　assumed　by　the　Divine　as　merely　a　particular　form；　not　yet　as　a　universal　form　—
becomes　spiritual　for　this　consciousness　in　the　process　whereby　God；　who　has　assumed　shape
and　form；　surrenders　again　His　immediate　existence；　and　returns　to　His　essential　Being。　The
essential　Being　is　then　Spirit　only　when　it　is　reflected　into　itself。

The　reconciliation　of　the　Divine　Being　with　its　other　as　a　whole；　and；　specifically；　with　the　thought
of　this　other…evil　—　is　thus　presented　here；　in　a　figurative　way。　If　this　reconciliation　is　expressed
conceptually；　by　saying　it　consists　in　the　fact　that　evil　is　inherently　the　same　as　what　goodness　is；
or　again　that　the　Divine　Being　is　the　same　as　nature　in　its　entire　extent；　just　as　nature　separated
from　God　is　simply　nothingness；　—　then　this　must　be　looked　at　as　an　unspiritual　mode　of
expression　which　is　bound　to　give　rise　to　misunderstandings。　When　evil　is　the　same　as　goodness；
then　evil　is　just　not　evil　nor　goodness　good；　on　the　contrary；　both　are　really　done　away　with　—　evil
in　general；　self…centred　self…existence；　and　goodness；　self…less　simplicity。　Since　in　this　way　they　are
both　expressed　in　terms　of　their　notion；　the　unity　of　the　two　is　at　once　apparent；　for　self…centred
self…existence　is　simple　knowledge；　and　what　is　self…less　simplicity　is　similarly　pure　self…existence
centred　within　itself。　Hence；　if　it　must　be　said　that　good　and　evil　in　this　their　conception；　i。e。　so　far
as　they　are　not　good　and　evil；　are　the　same；　just　as　certainly　it　must　be　said　that　they　are　not　the
same；　but　absolutely　different；　for　simple　self…existence；　or　again　pure　knowledge；　are　equally　pure
negativity　or　per　se　absolute　distinction。　It　is　only　these　two　propositions　that　make　the　whole
complete；　and　when　the　first　is　asserted　and　asseverated；　it　must　be　met　and　opposed　by　insisting
on　the　other　with　immovable　obstinacy。　Since　both　are　equally　right；　they　are　both　equally　wrong；
and　their　wrong　consists　in　taking　such　abstract　forms　as　〃the　same〃　and　〃not　the　same〃；　〃identity〃
and　〃non…identity〃；　to　be　something　true；　fixed；　real；　and　in　resting　on　them。　Neither　the　one　nor　the
other　has　truth；　their　truth　is　just　their　movement；　the　process　in　which　simple　sameness　is
abstraction　and　thus　absolute　distinction；　while　this　again；　being　distinction　per　se；　is　distinguished
from　itself　and　so　is　self…identity。　Precisely　this　is　what　we　have　in　sameness　of　the　Divine　Being
and　Nature　in　general　and　human　nature　in　particular：　the　former　is　Nature　so　far　as　it　is　not
essential　Being；　Nature　is　Divine　in　its　essential　Being。　But　it　is　in　Spirit　that　we　find　both　abstract
aspects　affirmed　as　they　truly　are；　viz。　as　cancelled　and　preserved　at　once：　and　this　way　of
affirming　them　cannot　be　expressed　by　the　judgment；　by　the　soulless　word　〃is〃　；　the　copula　of　the
judgment。　In　the　same　way　Nature　is　nothing　outside　its　essential　Being　＇God＇；　but　this　nothing
itself　is　all　the　same；　it　is　absolute　abstraction；　therefore　pure　thought　or　self…centredness；　and　with
its　moment　of　opposition　to　spiritual　unity　it　is　the　principle　of　Evil。　The　dffficulty　people　find　in
these　conceptions　is　due　solely　to　sticking　to　the　term　〃is〃　and　forgetting　the　character　of　thought；
where　the　moments　as　much　are　as　they　are　not；　—　are　only　the　process　which　is　Spirit。　It　is　this
spiritual　unity；　—　unity　where　the　distinctions　are　merely　in　the　form　of　moments；　or　as　transcended
—　which　became　known　to　pictorial　thinking　in　that　atoning　reconciliation　spoken　of　above。　And
since　this　unity　is　the　universality　of　self…consciousness；　self…consciousness　has　ceased　to　be
figurative　or　pictorial　in　its　thinking；　the　Process　has　turned　back　into　it。

Spirit　thus　takes　up　its　position　in　the　third　element；　in　universal　self…consciousness：　Spirit　is　its　own
community。　The　movement　of　this　community　being　that　of　self…consciousness；　which　distinguishes
itself　from　its　figurative　idea；　consists　in　explicitly　bringing　out　what　has　implicitly　become
established。　The　dead　Divine　Man；　or　Human　God；　is　implicitly　universal　self…consciousness；　he
has　to　become　explicitly　so　for　this　self…consciousness。　Or；　since　this　self…consciousness
constitutes　one　side　of　the　opposition　involved　in　figurative　thought；　viz。　the　side　of　evil；　which
takes　natural　existence　and　individual　self…existence　to　be　the　essential　reality　—　this　aspect；　which
is　pictured　as　independent；　and　not　yet　as　a　moment；　has；　on　account　of　its　independence；　to　raise
itself　in　and　for　itself　to　the　level　of　spirit；　it　has　to　reveal　the　process　of　Spirit　in　its　self。

This　particular　self…consciousness　is　Spirit　in　natural　form；　natural　spirit：　self　has　to　withdraw　from
this　natural　existence　and　enter　into　itself；　become　self…centred；　that　would　mean；　it　has　to　become
evil。　But　this　aspect　is　already　per　se　evil：　entering　into　itself　consists　therefore；　in　persuading　itself
that　natural　existence　is　what　is　evil。　By　picture…thinking　the　world　is　supposed　actually　to　become
evil　and　be　evil　as　an　actual　fact；　and　the　atoning　reconcilement　of　the　Absolute　Being　is　viewed　as
an　actual　existent　phenomenon。　By　self…consciousness　as　such；　however；　this　pictured　truth；　as
regards　its　form；　is　considered　to　be　merely　a　moment　that　is　already　superseded　and　transcended；
for　the　self　is　the　negative；　and　hence　knowledge　—　a　knowledge　which　is　a　pure　act　of
consciousness　within　itself。　This　moment　of　the　negative　must　in　like　manner　find　expression　in　the
content。　Since；　that　is　to　say；　the　essential　Being　is　inherently　and　from　the　start　reconcited　with
itself　and　is　a　spiritual　unity；　in　which　what　are　parts　for　figurative　thought　are　sublated；　are
moments；　what　we　find　is　that　each　part　of　figurative　thought　receives　here　the　opposite
significance　to　that　which　it　had　before。　By　this　means　each　meaning　finds　its　completion　in　the
other；　and　the　content　is　then　and　thereby　a　spiritual　content。　Since　the　specific　determinateness　of
each　is　just　as　much　its　opposite；　unity　in　otherness　—　spiritual　reality　—　is　achieved：　just　as
formerly　we　saw　the　opposite　meanings　combined　objectively　（für　uns）；　or　in　themselves；　and
even　the　abstract　forms　of　〃the　same〃　and　〃not…the…same〃；　〃identity〃　and　〃non…identity〃　cancelled
one　another　and　were　transcended。

If；　then；　from　the　point　of　view　of　figurative　thought；　the　becoming　self…centred　on　the　part　of　the
natural　self…consciousness　was　actually　existing　evil；　that　process　of　becoming　fixed　in　itself　is　in　the
sphere　of　self　consciousness；　the　knowledge　of　evil　as　something　that　per　se　belongs　to　existence。
This　knowledge　is　certainly　a　process　of　becoming　evil；　but　merely　of　the　thought　of　evil；　and　is
therefore　recognized　as　the　first　moment　of　reconciliation。　For；　being　a　return　into　self　out　of　the
immediacy　of　nature；　which　is　specifically　characterized　as　evil；　it　is　a　forsaking　of　that　immediacy；
and　a　dying　to　sin。　It　is　not　natural　existence　as　such　that　consciousness　forsakes；　but　natural
existence　that　is　at　the　same　time　known　to　be　evil。　The　immediate　process　of　becoming
self…centred；　is　just　as　much　a　mediate　process：　it　presupposes　itself；　i。e。　is　its　own　ground　and
reason：　the　reason　for　self…concentrating　is　because　nature　has　per　se　already　done　so。　Because　of
evil　man　must　be　self…centred　（in　sich　gehen）；　but　evil　is　itself　the　state　of　self…concentration。　This
first　movement　is　just　on　that　account　itself　merely　immediate；