phenomenology of mind-第124章

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15。　I。e。　between　spiritual　consciousness　and　objective　idea。　

16。　The　historical　Christ。　




（DD）
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII。　ABSOLUTE　KNOWLEDGE　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Absolute　Knowledge　（1）

THE　Spirit　manifested　in　revealed　religion　has　not　as　yet　surmounted　its　attitude　of　consciousness
as　such；　or；　what　is　the　same　thing；　its　actual　self…consciousness　is　not　at　this　stage　the　object　it　is
aware　of。　Spirit　as　a　whole　and　the　moments　distinguished　in　it　fall　within　the　sphere　of　figurative
thinking；　and　within　the　form　of　objectivity。　The　content　of　this　figurative　thought　is　Absolute
Spirit。　All　that　remains　to　be　done　now　is　to　cancel　and　transcend　this　bare　form；　or　better；
because　the　form　appertains　to　consciousness　as　such；　its　true　meaning　must　have　already　come
out　in　the　shapes　or　modes　consciousness　has　assumed。

　　　　　　　　　　1。　The　Ultimate　Content　of　the　Self　knows　itself　as　all　Existence

The　surmounting　of　the　object　of　consciousness　in　this　way　is　not　to　be　taken　one…sidedly　as
meaning　that　the　object　showed　itself　returning　into　the　self。　It　has　a　more　definite　meaning：　it
means　that　the　object　as　such　presented　itself　to　the　self　as　a　vanishing　factor；　and；　furthermore；
that　the　emptying　of　self…consciousness　itself　establishes　thinghood；　and　that　this　externalization　of
self…consciousness　has　not　merely　negative；　but　positive　significance；　a　significance　not　merely　for
us　or　per　se；　but　for　self…consciousness　itself。　The　negative　of　the　object；　its　cancelling　its　own
existence；　gets；　for　self…consciousness；　a　positive　significance；　or；　self…consciousness　knows　this
nothingness　of　the　object　because　on　the　one　hand　self…consciousness　itself　externalizes　itself；　for
in　doing　so　it　establishes　itself　as　object；　or；　by　reason　of　the　indivisible　unity　characterizing　its
self…existence；　sets　up　the　object　as　its　self。　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　also　this　other　moment　in
the　process；　that　self…consciousness　has　just　as　really　cancelled　and　superseded　this
self…relinquishment　and　objectification；　and　has　resumed　them　into　itself；　and　is　thus　at　home　with
itself　in　its　otherness　as　such。　This　is　the　movement　of　consciousness；　and　in　this　process
consciousness　is　the　totality　of　its　moments。

Consciousness；　at　the　same　time；　must　have　taken　up　a　relation　to　the　object　in　all　its　aspects　and
phases；　and　have　grasped　its　meaning　from　the　point　of　view　of　each　of　them。　This　totality　of　its
determinate　characteristics　makes　the　object　per　se　or　inherently　a　spiritual　reality；　and　it　becomes
so　in　truth　for　consciousness；　when　the　latter　apprehends　every　individual　one　of　them　as　self；　i。e。
when　it　takes　up　towards　them　the　spiritual　relationship　just　spoken　of。

The　object　is；　then；　partly　immediate　existence；　a　thing　in　general　—　corresponding　to　immediate
consciousness；　partly　an　alteration　of　itself；　its　relatedness；　（or　existence…for…another　and
existence…for…self）；　determinatenesss　—　corresponding　to　perception；　partly　essential　being　or　in
the　form　of　a　universal…corresponding　to　understanding。　The　object　as　a　whole　is　the　mediated
result　＇the　syllogism＇　or　the　passing　of　universality　into　individuality　through　specification；　as　also
the　reverse　process　from　individual　to　universal　through　cancelled　individuality　or　specific
determination。

These　three　specific　aspects；　then；　determine　the　ways　in　which　consciousness　must　know　the
object　as　itself。　This　knowledge　of　which　we　are　spearing　is；　however；　not　knowledge　in　the　sense
of　pure　conceptual　comprehension　of　the　object；　here　this　knowledge　is　to　be　taken　only　in　its
development；　has　to　be　taken　in　its　various　moments　and　set　forth　in　the　manner　appropriate　to
consciousness　as　such；　and　the　moments　of　the　notion　proper；　of　pure　knowledge；　assume　the
form　of　shapes　or　modes　of　consciousness。　For　that　reason　the　object　does　not　yet；　when　present
in　consciousness　as　such；　appear　as　the　inner　essence　of　Spirit　in　the　way　this　has　just　been
expressed。　The　attitude　consciousness　adopts　in　regard　to　the　object　is　not　that　of　considering　it
either　in　this　totality　as　such　or　in　the　pure　conceptual　form；　it　is　partly　that　of　a　mode　or　shape　of
consciousness　in　general；　partly　a　multitude　of　such　modes　which　we　＇who　analyze　the　process＇
gather　together；　and　in　which　the　totality　of　the　moments　of　the　object　and　of　the　process　of
consciousness　can　be　shown　merely　resolved　into　their　moments。

To　understand　this　method　of　grasping　the　object；　where　apprehension　is　a　shape　or　mode　of
consciousness；　we　h　ave　here　only　to　recall　the　previous　shapes　of　consciousness　which　came　bef
ore　us　earlier　in　the　argument。

As　regards　the　object；　then；　so　far　as　it　is　immediate；　an　indifferent　objective　entity；　we　saw
Reason；　at　the　stage　of　〃Observation〃；　seeking　and　finding　itself　in　this　indifferent　thing　—　i。e。　we
saw　it　conscious　that　its　activity　is　there　of　an　external　sort；　and　at　the　same　time　conscious　of　the
object　merely　as　an　immediate　object。　We　saw；　too；　its　specific　character　take　expression　at　its
highest　stage　in　the　infinite　judgment：　〃the　being　of　the　ego　is　a　thing〃。　And；　further；　the　ego　is　an
immediate　thing　of　sense。　When　ego　is　called　a　soul；　it　is　indeed　represented　also　as　a　thing；　but　a
thing　in　the　sense　of　something　invisible；　impalpable；　etc。；　i。e。　in　fact　not　as　an　immediate　entity　and
not　as　that　which　is　generally　understood　by　a　thing。　That　judgment；　then；　〃ego　is　a　thing〃；　taken　at
first　glance；　has　no　spiritual　content；　or　rather；　is　just　the　absence　of　spirituality。　In　its　conception；
however；　it　is　in　fact　the　most　luminous　and　illuminating　judgment；　and　this；　its　inner　significance；
which　is　not　yet　made　evident；　is　what　the　two　other　moments　to　be　considered　express。

The　thing　is　ego。　In　point　of　fact；　thing　is　transcended　in　this　infinite　judgment。　The　thing　is　nothing
in　itself；　it　only　has　significance　in　relation；　only　through　the　ego　and　its　reference　to　the　ego。　This
moment　came　before　consciousness　in　pure　insight　and　enlightenment。　Things　are　simply　and　solely
useful；　and　only　to　be　considered　from　the　point　of　view　of　their　utility。　The　trained　and　cultivated
self…consciousness；　which　has　traversed　the　region　of　spirit　in　self…alienation；　has；　by　giving　up
itself；　produced　the　thing　as　its　self；　it　retains　itself；　therefore；　still　in　the　thing；　and　knows　the　thing
to　have　no　independence；　in　other　words　knows　that　the　thing　has　essentially　and　solely　a　relative
existence。　Or　again　—　to　give　complete　expression　to　the　relationship；　i。e。　to　what　here　alone
constitutes　the　nature　of　the　object　—　the　thing　stands　for　something　that　is　self…existent；
sense…certainty　（sense…experience）　is　announced　as　absolute　truth；　but　this　self…existence　is　itself
declared　to　be　a　moment　which　merely　disappears；　and　passes　into　its　opposite；　into　a　being　at　the
mercy　of　an　〃other〃。

But　knowledge　of　the　thing　is　not　vet　finished　at　this　point。　The　thing　must　become　known　as　self
not　merely　in　regard　to　the　immediateness　of　its　being　and　as　regards　its　determinateness；　but　also
in　the　sense　of　essence　or　inner　reality。　This　is　found　in　the　case　of　Moral　Self…consciousness。　This
mode　of　experience　knows　its　knowledge　as　the　absolute　essential　element；　knows　no　other
objective　being　than　pure　will　or　pure　knowledge。　It　is　nothing　but　merely　this　will　and　this
knowledge。　Any　other　possesses　merely　non…essential　being；　i。e。　being　that　has　no　inherent　nature
per　se；　but　only　its　empty　husk。　In　so　far　as　the　moral　consciousness；　in　its　view　of　the　world；　lets
existence　drop　out　of　the　self；　it　just　as　truly　takes　this　existence　back　again　into　its　self。　In　the　form
of　conscience；　finally；　it　is　no　longer　this　incessant　alternation　between　the　placing〃　and　the
〃displacing〃　＇dissembling＇　of　existence　and　self；　it　knows　that　its　existence　as　such　is　this　pure
certainty　of　its　own　self；　the　objective　element；　into　which　qua　acting　it　puts　forth　itself；　is　nothing
else　than　pure　knowledge　of　itself　by　itself。

These　are　the　moments　which　compose　the　reconciliation　of　spirit　with　its　own　consciousness
proper。　By　themselves　they　are　single　and　isolated；　and　it　is　their　spiritual　unity　alone　which
furnishes　the　power　for　this　reconciliation。　The　last　of　these　moments　is；　however；　necessarily　this
unity　itself；　and；　as　we　see；　binds　them　all　in　fact　into　itself。　Spirit　certain　of　itself　in　its　objective
existence　takes　as　the　element　of　its　existence　nothing　else　than　this　knowledge　of　self。　The
declaration　that　what　it　does　it　does　in　accordance　with　the　conviction　of　duty…this　statement　is　the
warrant　for　its　own　action；　and　makes　good　its　conduct。

Action　is　the　first　inherent　division　of　the　simple　unity　of　the　notion；　and　the　return　out　of　this
division。　This　first　movement　turns　round　into　the　second；　since　the　element　of　recognition　puts
itself　forward　as　simple　knowledge　of　duty　in　contrast　to　the　distinction　and　diremption　that　lie　in
action　as　such　and；　in　this　way；　form　a　rigid　reality　confronting　action。　In　pardon；　however；　we　saw
how　this　rigid　fixity　gives　way　and　renounces　its　claims。　Reality　has　here；　qua　immediate
existence；　no　other　significance　for　self…consciousness　than　that　of　being　pure　knowledge；
similarly；　qua　determinate　existence；　or　qua　relation；　what　is　self…opposed　is　a　knowledge　partly
of　this　purely　individual　self；　partly　of　knowledge　qua　universal。　Herein　it　is　established；　at　the
same　time；　that　the　third　moment；　universality；　or　the　essence；　means　for　each　of　the　two　opposite
factors　merely　knowledge。　Finally　they　also　cancel　the　empty　opposition　that　still　remains；　and　are
the　knowledge　of　ego　as　identical　with　ego：…this　individual　self　which　is　immediately　pure
knowledge　or　universal。

This　reconciliation　of　consciousness　with　self…consciousness　thus　proves　to　be　brought　about　in　a
double…sided　way；　in　the　one　case；　in　the　religious　mind；　in　the　other　case；　in　consciousness　itself
as　such。　They　axe　distinguished　inter　se　by　the　fact　that　the　one　is　this　reconciliation　in　the　form　of
implicit　immanence；　the　other　in　the　form　of　explicit　self…existence。　As　we　have　considered　them；
they　at　the　beginning　fall　apart。　In　the　order　in　which　the　modes　or　shapes　of　consciousness　came
before　us；　consciousness　has　reached　the　individual　moments　of　that　order；　and　also　their
unification；　long　before　ever　religion　gave　its　object　the　shape　of　actual　self…consciousness。　The
unification　of　both　aspects　is　not　yet　brought　to　light；　it　is　this　that　winds　up　this　series　of
embodiments　of　spirit；　for　in　it　spirit　gets　to　the　point　where　it　knows　itself　not　only　as　it　is
inherently　in　itself；　or　in　terms　of　its　absolute　content；　nor　only　as　it　is　（objectively）　for　itself　in　terms
of　its　bare　form　devoid　of　content；　or　in　terms　of　self…consciousness；　but　as　it　is　in　its
self…completeness；　as　it　is　in　itself　and　for　itself。

This　unification　has；　however；　already　taken　place　by　implication；　and　has　done　so　in　religion　in　the
return　of　the　figurative　idea　（Vorstellung）　into　self…consciousness；　but　not　according　to　the　proper
form；　for　the　religious　aspect　is　the　aspect　of　the　essentially　independent　（Ansich）　and　stands　in
contrast　to　th