phenomenology of mind-第66章

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is　confirmed　and　supported　by　its　experience；　and　whether　its　reality　agrees　with　this　notion。

The　work　produced　is　the　reality　which　consciousness　gives　itself。　It　is　there　that　the　individual
becomes　consciously　what　he　is　implicitly；　and　in　such　wise　that　the　consciousness　which　becomes
aware　of　the　individual　in　the　work　performed　is　not　the　particular　consciousness　but　universal
consciousness。　He　has　placed　himself　by　his　work　quite　outside　in　the　element　of　universality；　in
the　characterless；　qualityless　region　of　existence。　The　consciousness　which　withdraws　from　its
work　is　in　point　of　fact　universal…because　it　becomes；　in　this　opposition　between　work　and
consciousness；　absolute　negativity；　the　process　of　action…and　stands　over　against　its　work；　which
is　determinate　and　particular。　It　thus　goes　beyond　itself　qua　work；　and　is　itself　the　indeterminate
region　which　its　work　still　leaves　void　and　unfilled。　If　their　unity　was　in　the　above　notion　still
preserved；　this　took　place　just　through　the　work　being　cancelled　qua　objectively　existing　product。
But　it　has　to　be；　and　we　have　to　see　how　individuality　will　retain　its　universality　in　the　existence　of
the　work；　and　will　know　how　to　get　satisfaction。

To　begin　with　we　have　to　consider　by　itself　the　work　which　has　come　into　being。　It　has　received
within　it　the　entire　nature　of　the　individual。　Its　existence　is　therefore　itself　an　action；　in　which　all
distinctions　interpenetrate　and　are　resolved。　The　work　is　thus　thrown　out　into　a　subsisting　form
where　the　specific　character　of　the　original　nature　does　in　fact　come　out　as　against　other
determinate　natures；　encroaches　on　them；　just　as　these　in　their　turn　encroach　on　it；　and　is　lost　as　a
vanishing　moment　in　this　general　process。　Although　in　the　conception　of　individuality　as　here　dealt
with；　the　various　moments　（circumstances；　purpose；　means；　and　realization）　are　all　alike；　and　the
original　specific　nature　stands　for　no　more　than　a　universal　element；　on　the　other　hand；　when　this
element　takes　on　an　objective　existence；　its　determinate　character　as　such　comes　to　light　in　the
work　done；　and　obtains　its　truth　in　its　dissolution。　Looked　at　more　closely；　this　dissolution　is　such
that　in　this　specific　character　the　individual；　qua　this　individual；　has　become　consciously　real；　but
the　specific　character　is　not　merely　the　content　of　reality；　but　its　form　as　well；　or　this　reality　as　such
is　as　a　whole　just　this　specific　character；　viz。　being　opposed　to　self…consciousness。　On　this　view
this　reality　is　seen　to　be　a　reality　which　has　disappeared　out　of　the　notion；　and　is　merely　found
given　as　an　alien　reality。　The　work　is；　i。e。　it　is　for　other　individuals；　and　for　them　it　is　an　external；　an
alien　reality；　in　whose　place　they　have　to　put　their　own；　in　order　to　get　by　their　action
consciousness　of　their　unity　with　reality。　In　other　words；　the　interest　which　they　take　in　that　work
owing　to　their　original　constitution　is　other　than　the　peculiar　interest　of　this　work；　which　thereby　is
turned　into　something　different。　The　work　is；　thus；　in　general　something　transitory；　which　is
extinguished　by　the　counter…action　of　other　powers　and　interests；　and　displays　the　reality　of
individuality　in　a　transitory　form　rather　than　as　fulfilled　and　accomplished。

Consciousness；　then；　by　doing　work　becomes　aware　of　that　contrast　between　being　and　acting；
which　in　the　earlier　forms　of　consciousness　was　at；　the　same　time　the　beginning　of　action；　and　is
here　merely　a　result。　This　contrast；　however；　was　in　fact　likewise　the　ultimate　principle　involved
when　consciousness　proceeded　to　act　as　an　implicitly　real　individuality；　for　action　presupposed　the
determinate　original　nature　as　the　ultimate　implicit　element；　and　the　mere　process　of　performing　the
act　for　the　sake　of　this　performance　took　that　nature　as　its　content。　Mere　action　is；　however；　the
self…identical　form；　with　which；　consequently；　the　specific　determinateness　of　the　original　nature
does　not　agree。　It　is　a　matter　of　indifference　here；　as　elsewhere；　which　of　the　two　is　called　notion
and　which　reality。　The　original　nature　is　the　thought　element；　the　implicit　factor　as　against　the
action；　in　which　it　first　gets　its　reality；　or；　again；　the　original　nature　is　the　existence　both　of
individuality　as　such　and　of　individuality　in　the　form　of　work；　while　action　is　the　original　notion　as
pure　and　simple　transition；　as　the　process　of　becoming。　This　lack　of　correspondence　between　idea
and　reality；　which　lies　in　its　essence；　consciousness　learns　in　its　work；　in　work；　therefore；
consciousness　becomes　aware　of　itself　as　it　in　truth　is；　and　its　empty　notion　of　itself　disappears。

In　this　fundamental　contradiction　characteristic　of　work　—　which　contains　the　truth　of　this
individuality　that　takes　itself　to　be　inherently　real　—　all　the　aspects　of　individuality　thus　appear　again
as　contradictory。　That　is　to　say；　in　the　work　（done）　the　content　of　the　entire　individuality　is　put
forth　out　of　the　process　of　doing　（it）；　which　is　the　negative　unity　holding　fast　all　the　moments　of　that
content；　into　（objective）　existence。　So　transferred　and　set　forth；　the　work　（done）　lets　the　moments
now　go　free；　and　in　the　element　of　factual　subsistence　they　become　indifferent　to　one　another。　The
notion　and　its　reality　are　thus　separated　into　purpose　and　the　original　essential　nature　（Wesenheit）。
It　is　an　accident　that　the　purpose　should　have　a　true　being；　or　that　the　implicit　inherent　nature
should　be　made　a　purpose。　Similarly；　again；　notion　and　reality　fall　apart　as　transition　to　actuality
and　as　purpose；　in　other　words；　it　is　an　accident　that　the　means　expressing　the　purpose　should
actually　be　chosen。　While；　finally；　these　inner　moments　taken　together　（whether　they　have　some
intrinsic　unity　or　not）　—　i。e。　the　action　of　the　individual　—　are　again　accidentally　related　to　actuality
in　general：　fortune　decides　equally　in　favour　of　a　badly　determined　purpose　and　badly　selected
means；　as　well　as　against　them。

If；　now；　consciousness　hereby　becomes　aware　in　its　work　of　the　opposition　between　willing　and
performance；　between　purpose　and　means；　and　again　between　this　inward　nature；　taken　all
together；　and　actual　reality　—　an　opposition　which　as　a　whole　shows　the　fortuitous　character　of　the
action　of　consciousness…still　the　unity　and　the　necessity　of　this　action　are　just　as　much　present　too。
This　latter　aspect　transcends　the　former；　and　experience　of　the　fortuitousness　of　the　action　is　itself
only　a　fortuitous　experience。　The　necessity　of　the　action　consists　in　this；　that　purpose　is　directly
related　to　actuality；　and　the　unity　of　these　is　the　very　notion　of　action：　the　act　takes　place　because
action　is　per　se　and　of　itself　the　essence　of　actuality。　In　the　work　there　is　no　doubt　comes　out　the
fortuitousness　which　characterizes　accomplishment　when　contrasted　with　willing　and　the　process
of　performing；　and　this　experience；　which　seems　as　if　it　must　be　the　truth；　contradicts　that　notion　of
the　act。　Still；　if　we　look　at　the　content　of　this　experience　taken　in　its　completeness；　that　content　is
seen　to　be　the　transitory　work。　What　persists　is　not　the　transitoriness；　rather　this　is　itself　actual　and
is　bound　up　with　the　work；　and　vanishes　with　it；　the　negative　falls　away　along　with　the　positive
whose　negation　it　is。

The　very　notion　of　substantially　and　inherently　real　individuality　contains　within　it　this　transience　of
transitoriness　（Verschwinden　des　Verschwindens）。　For　that　wherein　the　work　disappears；　or
what　disappears　in　the　work；　is　the　objective　reality；　and　this　same　reality　was　to　give　experience；
as　it　was　called；　its　supremacy　over　the　notion　which　individuality　has　about　itself。　Objective
reality；　however；　is　a　moment　which　itself　has　no　longer　independent　truth　in　this　mode　of
consciousness；　it　（i。e。　the　truth）　consists　solely　in　the　unity　of　this　consciousness　with　action；　and
the　true　work　is　only　that　unity　of　action　and　existence；　of　willing　and　performance。　Because　of　the
certainty　fundamental　to　its　actions；　consciousness　takes　the　actual　reality　opposed　to　that
conscious　certainty　to　be　something　which　itself　is　only　for　consciousness。　The　opposition　cannot
any　longer　occur　for　consciousness　in　this　form　of　its　self…existence　in　contrast　to　reality；　when
consciousness　is　self…consciousness　returned　into　itself　and　with　all　opposition　gone。　On　the
contrary；　the　opposition　and　the　negativity　manifested　in　the　case　of　work　then　affect　not　only　the
content　of　the　work　or　the　content　of　consciousness　as　well；　but　the　reality　as　such；　and　hence
affect。the　opposition　present　merely　in　virtue　of　that　reality　and　in　it；　and　the　disappearance　of　the
work。　In　this　way　consciousness　turns　from　its　transitory　work　back　upon　itself；　and　asserts　its
own　notion　and　its　certainty　to　be　what　is　permanent　and　abidino；　as　opposed　to　the　experience　of
the　fortuitousness　of　action。　In　point　of　fact　it　comes　to　know　its　essential　principle　or　notion；　in
which　the　reality　is　only　a　moment；　something　for　consciousness；　not　something　in　and　for　itself；　it
finds　that　reality　to　be　a　passing　moment；　of　significance　therefore　merely　as　being　in　general；
whose　universality　is　one　and　the　same　with　action。　This　unity；　this　identity　is　the　true　work；　it　is　the
real　intent；　the　fact　of　the　matter　（die　Sache　selbst）；　which　asserts　itself　at　all　costs　and　is　felt　to
be　the　lasting　element；　independent　of　〃fact〃　which　is　the　accident　of　an　individual　action　as　such；
the　accident　of　circumstances；　means；　and　actuality。

The　main　concern　（die　Sache　selbst）　stands　opposed　to　these　moments　only　so　far　as　they　claim
to　have　a　value　in　isolation；　but　is　essentially　their　unity；　because　identifying；　fusing；　actuality　with
individuality。　It　is；　too；　an　action；　and；　qua　action；　pure　action　in　general；　and　thereby　just　as　much
action　of　this　individual；　and　this　action；　because　still　appertaining　to　the　individual　in　opposition　to
actuality；　has　the　sense　of　a　purpose。　Similarly　it　is　the　transition　from　this　specific　character　to　the
opposite：　and　finally　it　is　a　reality　which　is　present　objectively　for　consciousness。　The　main　intent
thus　expresses　the　essential　spiritual　substance　in　which　all　these　moments　as　independently　valid
are　cancelled　and　transcended　and　so　hold　good　only　as　universal；　and　in　which　the　certainty
consciousness　has　regarding　itself　is　a　〃fact〃　—　a　real　object　before　consciousness；　an　object　born
of　self…consciousness　as　its　own；　without　ceasing　to　be　a　free　independent　object　in　the　proper
sense。　The　〃thing〃；　found　at　the　stage　of　sense…certainty　and　perception；　now　gets　its　significance
through　self…consciousness；　and　through　it　alone。　On　this　rests　the　distinction　between　a　thing
（Ding）　and　a　fact　（Sache）。　A　process　is　gone　through　here　corresponding　to　what　we　find　in　the
case　of　sense…experience　and　perception。

Self…consciousness；　then；　has　attained　its　true　conception　of　itself　when　this　stage　of　the　real　intent
is　reached；　it　is　the　interpenetration　of　individuality　and　objectivity：　an　interpenetration　which　has
become　objective。　In　it　self…consciousness　has　arrived　at　a　consciousness　of　its　own　substance。　At
the　same　time；　as　we　find　self…consciousn