phenomenology of mind-第126章

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notion；　the　moments　thus　make　their　appearance　prior　to　the　whole　in　its　complete　fulfilment；　the
movement　of　these　moments　is　the　process　by　which　the　whole　comes　into　being。　In
consciousness；　on　the　other　hand；　the　whole　—　but　not　as　comprehended　conceptually　—　is　prior
to　the　moments。

Time　is　just　the　notion　definitely　existent；　and　presented　to　consciousness　in　the　form　of　empty
intuition。　Hence　spirit　necessarily　appears　in　time；　and　it　appears　in　time　so　long　as　it　does　not
grasp　its　pure　notion；　i。e。　so　long　as　it　does　not　annul　time。　Time　is　the　pure　self　in　external　form；
apprehended　in　intuition；　and　not　grasped　and　understood　by　the　self；　it　is　the　notion　apprehended
only　through　intuition。　When　this　notion　grasps　itself；　it　supersedes　its　time　character；
（conceptually）　comprehends　intuition；　and　is　intuition　comprehended　and　comprehending。　Time
therefore　appears　as　spirit's　destiny　and　necessity；　where　spirit　is　not　yet　complete　within　itself；　it　is
the　necessity　compelling　spirit　to　enrich　the　share　self…consciousness　has　in　consciousness；　to　put
into　motion　the　immediacy　of　the　inherent　nature　（which　is　the　form　in　which　the　substance　is
present　in　consciousness）；　or；　conversely；　to　realize　and　make　manifest　what　is　inherent；　regarded
as　inward　and　immanent；　to　make　manifest　that　which　is　at　first　within　—　i。e。　to　vindicate　it　for
spirit's　certainty　of　self。

　　　　　　　　3。　The　return　of　the　Spirit　so　comprehended　to　Immediate　Existence

For　this　reason　it　must　be　said　that　nothing　is　known　which　does　not　fall　within　experience；　or　（as　it
is　also　expressed）　which　is　not　felt　to　be　true；　which　is　not　given　as　an　inwardly　revealed　eternal
verity；　as　a　sacred　object　of　belief；　or　whatever　other　expressions　we　care　to　employ。　For
experience　just　consists　in　this；　that　the　content…and　the　content　is　spirit　—　in　its　inherent　nature　is
substance　and　so　object　of　consciousness。　But　this　substance；　which　is　spirit；　is　the　development
of　itself　explicitly　to　what　it　is　inherently　and　implicitly；　and　only　as　this　process　of　reflecting　itself
into　itself　is　it　essentially　and　in　truth　spirit。　It　is　inherently　the　movement　which　is　the　process　of
knowledge　—　the　transforming　of　that　inherent　nature　into　explicitness；　of　Substance　into　Subject；
of　the　object　of　consciousness　into　the　object　of　self…consciousness；　i。e。　into　an　object　that　is　at　the
same　time　transcended　—　in　other　words；　into　the　notion。　This　transforming　process　is　a　cycle　that
returns　into　itself；　a　cycle　that　presupposes　its　beginning；　and　reaches　its　beginning　only　at　the　end。
So　far　as　spirit；　then；　is　of　necessity　this　self…distinction；　it　appears　as　a　single　whole；　intuitively
apprehended；　over　against　its　simple　self…consciousness。　And　since　that　whole　is　what　is
distinguished；　it　is　distinguished　into　the　intuitively　apprehended　pure　notion；　Time；　and　the
Content；　the　inherent；　implicit；　nature。　Substance；　qua　subject；　involves　the　necessity；　at　first　an
inner　necessity；　to　set　forth　in　itself　what　it　inherently　is；　to　show　itself　to　be　spirit。　The　completed
expression　in　objective　form　is　—　and　is　only　when　completed　—　at　the　same　time　the　reflexion　of
substance；　the　development　of　it　into　the　self。　Consequently；　until　and　unless　spirit　inherently
completes　itself；　completes　itself　as　a　world…spirit；　it　cannot　reach　its　completion　as　self…conscious
spirit。　The　content　of　religion；　therefore；　expresses　earlier　in　time　than　（philosophical）　science　what
spirit　is；　but　this　science　alone　is　the　perfect　form　in　which　spirit　truly　knows　itself。

The　process　of　carrying　forward　this　form　of　knowledge　of　itself　is　the　task　which　spirit
accomplishes　as　actual　History。　The　religious　communion；　in　so　far　as　it　is　at　the　outset　the
substance　of　Absolute　Spirit；　is　the　crude　form　of　consciousness；　which　has　an　existence　all　the
harsher　and　more　barbaric　the　deeper　is　its　inner　spirit；　and　its　inarticulate　self　has　all　the　harder
task　in　dealing　with　its　essence；　the　content　of　its　consciousness　alien　to　itself。　Not　till　it　has
surrendered　the　hope　of　cancelling　that　foreignness　by　an　external；　i。e。　alien；　method　does　it　turn　to
itself；　to　its　own　peculiar　world；　in　the　actual　present。　It　turns　thither　because　to　supersede　that
alien　method　means　returning　into　self…consciousness。　It　thus　discovers　this　world　in　the　living
present　to　be　its　own　property；　and　so　has　taken　the　first　step　to　descend　from　the　ideal　intelligible
world；　or　rather　to　quicken　the　abstract　element　of　the　intelligible　world　with　concrete　self…hood。
Through　〃observation〃；　on　the　one　hand；　it　finds　existence　in　the　shape　of　thought；　and
comprehends　existence；　and；　conversely；　it　finds　in　its　thought　existence。（2）　When；　in　the　first
instance；　it　has　thus　itself　expressed　in　an　abstract　way　the　immediate　unity　of　thought　and
existence；　of　abstract　Essential　Reality　and　Self；　and　when　it　has　expressed　the　primal　principle　of
〃Light〃　in　a　purer　form；　viz。　as　unity　of　extension　and　existence…for　〃existence〃　is　an　ultimate　simple
term　more　adequate　to　thought　than　〃light〃…and　in　this　way　has　revived　again　in　thought　the
Substance　of　the　Orient；（3）　thereupon　spirit　at　once　recoils　in　horror　from　this　abstract　unity；　from
this　self…less　substantiality；　and　maintains　as　against　it　the　principle　of　Individuality。（4）　But　after
Spirit　has　externalized　this　principle　in　the　process　of　its　culture；　has　thereby　made　it　an　objective
existence　and　established　it　throughout　the　whole　of　existence；　has　arrived　at　the　idea　of　〃Utility〃（5）
and　in　the　sphere　of　absolute　freedom　has　grasped　existence　as　its　Individual　Will；（6）…after　these
stages；　spirit　then　brings　to　light　the　thought　that　lies　in　its　inmost　depths；　and　expresses　essential
Reality　in　the　form　Ego=Ego。（7）

This　〃Ego　identical　with　Ego〃　is；　however；　the　self…reflecting　process；　for　since　this　identity　qua
absolute　negativity　is　absolute　distinction；　the　self…identity　of　the　Ego　stands　in　contrast　to　this
absolute　distinction；　which　—　being　pure　distinction　and　at　the　same　time　objective　to　the　self　that
knows　itself　—　has　to　be　expressed　as　Time。　In　this　way；　just　as　formerly　Essential　Reality　was
expressed　as　unity　of　thought　and　extension；　it　would　here　be　interpreted　as　unity　of　thought　and
time。　But　distinction　left　to　itself；　unresting；　unhalting　time；　really　collapses　upon　itself；　it　is　the
objective　quiescence　of　extension；　while　this　latter　is　pure　identity　with　self　—　is　Ego。

Again；　Ego　is　not　merely　self；　it　is　identity　of　self　with　itself。　This　identity；　however；　is　complete　and
immediate　unity　with　self；　in　other　words　this　Subject　is　just　as　much　Substance。　Substance　by
itself　alone　would　be　void　and　empty　Intuition　（Anschauen）；　or　the　intuition　of　a　content　which
qua　specific　would　have　merely　a　contingent　character　and　would　be　devoid　of　necessity。
Substance　would　only　stand　for　the　Absolute　in　so　far　as　Substance　was　thought　of　or　〃intuited〃　as
absolute　unity；　and　all　content　would；　as　regards　its　diversity；　have　to　fall　outside　the　Substance
and　be　due　to　reflexion；　a　process　which　does　not　belong　to　Substance；　because　Substance　would
not　be　Subject；　would　not　be　conceived　as　Spirit；　as　reflecting　about　self　and　reflecting　itself　into
self。　if；　nevertheless；　a　content　were　to　be　spoken　of；　then　on　the　one　hand　it　would　only　exist　in
order　to　be　thrown　into　the　empty　abyss　of　the　Absolute；　while　on　the　other　it　would　be　picked　up
in　external　fashion　from　sense　perception。　Knowledge　would　appear　to　have　come　by　things；　by
what　is　distinct　from　knowledge　itself；　and　to　have　got　at　the　distinctions　between　the　endless
variety　of　things；　without　any　one　understanding　how　or　where　all　this　came　from。（8）

Spirit；　however；　has　shown　itself　to　us　to　be　neither　the　mere　withdrawal　of　self…consciousness　into
its　pure　inwardness；　nor　the　mere　absorption　of　self…consciousness　into　Substance　and　the
nothingness　of　its　（self…）　distinction。　Spirit　is　the　movement　of　the　self　which　empties　（externalizes）
itself　of　self　and　sinks　itself　within　its　own　substance；　and　qua　subject；　both　has　gone　out　of　that
substance　into　itself；　making　its　substance　an　object　and　a　content；　and　also　supersedes　this
distinction　of　objectivity　and　content。　That　first　reflexion　out　of　immediacy　is　the　subject's　process
of　distinction　of　itself　from　its　substance；　the　notion　in　a　process　of　self…diremption；　the
going…into…itself　and　the　coming　into　being　of　the　pure　ego。　Since　this　distinction　is　the　pure　action
of　Ego=Ego；　the　notion　is　the　necessity　for　and　the　rising　of　existence；　which　has　the　substance　for
its　essential　nature　and　subsists　on　its　own　account。　But　this　subsisting　of　existence　for　itself　is　the
notion　established　in　determinate　form；　and　is　thereby　the　notion's　own　inherent　movement　—　that
of　descending　into　the　simple　substance；　which　is　only　subject　by　being　this　negativity　and　going
through　this　process。

Ego　has　not　to　take　its　stand　on　the　form　of　self…consciousness　in　opposition　to　the　form　of
substantiality　and　objectivity；　as　if　it　were　afraid　of　relinquishing　or　externalizing　itself。　The　power
of　spirit　lies　rather　in　remaining　one　with　itself　when　giving　up　itself；　and；　because　it　is
self…contained　and　self…subsistent；　in　establishing　as　mere　moments　its　explicit　self…existence　as　well
as　its　implicit　inherent　nature。　Nor　again　is　Ego　a　tertium　quid　which　casts　distinctions　back　into
the　abyss　of　the　Absolute；　and　declares　them　all　to　mean　the　same　there。　On　the　contrary；　true
knowledge　lies　rather　in　the　seeming　inactivity　which　merely　watches　how　what　is　distinguished　is
self…moved　by　its　very　nature　and　returns　again　into　its　own　unity。

With　absolute　knowledge；　then；　Spirit　has　wound　up　the　process　of　its　embodiment；　so　far　as　the
assumption　of　those　various　shapes　or　modes　is　affected　with　the　insurmountable　distinction　which
consciousness　implies　＇i。e。　the　distinction　of　consciousness　from　its　object　or　content＇。　Spirit　has
attained　the　pure　element　of　its　existence；　the　notion。　The　content　is；　in　view　of　the　freedom　of　its
own　existence；　the　self　that　empties　（externalizes）　itself；　in　other　words；　that　content　is　the
immediate　unity　of　self…knowledge。　The　pure　process　of　thus　externalizing　itself　constitutes　—
when　we　consider　this　process　in　its　content　—　the　necessity　of　this　content。　The　diversity　of
content　is；　qua　determinate；　due　to　relation；　and　is　not　inherent；　and　its　restless　activity　consists　in
cancelling　and　superseding　itself；　or　is　negativity。　Thus　the　necessity　or　diversity；　like　its　free
existence；　is　the　self　too；　and　in　this　self…form；　in　which　existence　is　immediately　thought；　the
content　is　a　notion。　Seeing；　then；　that　Spirit　has　attained　the　notion；　it　unfolds　its　existence　and
develops　its　processes　in　this　ether　of　its　life　and　is　（Philosophical）　Science。（9）　The　moments　of　its
process　are　set　forth　therein　no　longer　as　determinate　modes　or　shapes　of　consciousness；　but　—
since　the　distinction；　which　consciousness　implies；　has　reverted　to　and　has　become　a　distinction
within　the　self　—　as　determinate　notions；　and　as　the　organic　self…explaining　and　self…constituted
process　of　these　notions。　While　in