phenomenology of mind-第70章

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substance；　nor　the　knowledge　of　this　difference。　That　giving　laws　and　testing　laws　have　turned　out
futile　indicates　that　both；　taken　individually　and　in　isolation；　are　merely　unstable　moments　of　the
ethical　consciousness；　and　the　process　in　which　they　appear　has　the　formal　significance；　that　the
substance　of　ethical　life　thereby　expresses　itself　as　consciousness。

So　far　as　both　these　moments　are　more　precise　determinations　of　the　consciousness　of　the　real
intent　（Sache　selbst）　they　can　be　looked　on　as　forms　of　that　honesty　of　nature　（Ehrlichkeit）　which
now；　as　always　with　its　formal　moments；　is　much　occupied　with　a　content　which　〃ought　to　be〃
good　and　right；　and　with　testing　definite　fixed　truth　of　this　sort；　and　supposes　itself　to　possess　in
healthy　reason　and　intelligent　insight　the　force　and　validity　of　ethical　commands。

Without　this　honesty　of　nature；　however；　laws　do　not　have　validity　as　essential　realities　of
consciousness；　and　the　process　of　testing　likewise　does　not　hold　good　as　an　activity　inside
consciousness。　Rather；　these　moments；　when　they　appear　directly　as　a　reality　each　by　itself；
express　in　the　one　case　an　invalid　establishment　and　mere　de　facto　existence　of　actual　laws；　and　in
the　other　an　equally　invalid　detachment　from　them。　The　law　as　determinate　has　an　accidental
content：　this　means　here　that　it　is　a　law　made　by　a　particular　individual　conscious　of　an　arbitrary
content。　To　legislate　immediately　in　that　way　is　thus　tyrannical　insolence　and　wickedness；　which
makes　caprice　into　a　law；　and　morality　into　obedience　to　such　caprice　—　obedience　to　laws　which
are　merely　laws　and　not　at　the　same　time　commands。　So；　too；　the　second　process；　testing　the
laws；　so　far　as　it　is　taken　by　itself；　means　moving　the　immovable；　and　the　insolence　of　knowledge；
which　treats　absolute　laws　in　a　spirit　of　intellectual　detachment；　and　takes　them　for　a　caprice　that　is
alien　and　external　to　it。

In　both　forms　these　moments　are　negative　in　relation　to　the　ethical　substance；　to　the　real　spiritual
nature。　In　other　words；　the　substance　does　not　find　in　them　its　reality：　but　instead　consciousness
contains　the　substance　still　in　the　form　of　its　own　immediacy；　and　the　substance　is；　as　yet；　only　a
process　of　willing　and　knowing　on　the　part　of　this　individual；　or　the　ought〃　of　an　unreal　command
and　a　knowledge　of　formal　universality。　But　since　these　modes　were　cancelled；　consciousness　has
passed　back　into　the　universal　and　those　oppositions　have　vanished。　The　spiritual　reality　is　actual
substance　precisely　through　these　modes　not　holding　good　individually；　but　merely　as　cancelled
and　transcended；　and　the　unity　where　they　are　merely　moments　is　the　self　of　consciousness　which
is　henceforth　established　within　the　spiritual　reality；　and　makes　that　spirit　concrete；　actual；　and
self…conscious。

Spiritual　reality　（das　geistige　Wesen）　is　thus；　in　the　first　place；　for　self…consciousness　in　the　shape
of　a　law　implicitly　existing。　The　universality　present　in　the　process　of　testing；　which　was　of　a　formal
kind　and　not　inherently　existent；　is　transcended。　The　law　is；　too；　an　eternal　law；　which　does　not
have　its　ground　in　the　will　of　a　given　individual；　but　has　a　being　all　its　own　（an　und　für　sich）；　the
pure　and　absolute　will　of　all　which　takes　the　form　of　immediate　existence。　This　will　is；　again；　not　a
command　which　merely　ought　to　be；　it　is　and　has　validity；　it　is　the　universal　ego　of　the　category；
ego　which　is　immediately　reality；　and　the　world　is　only　this　reality。　Since；　however；　this　existing　law
is　absolutely　valid；　the　obedience　given　by　self…consciousness　is　not　service　rendered　to　a　master；
whose　orders　are　mere　caprice　and　in　which　it　does　not　recognize　its　own　nature。　On　the　contrary；
the　laws　are　thoughts　of　its　own　absolute　consciousness；　thoughts　which　are　its　own　immediate
possession。　Moreover；　it　does　not　believe　in　them；　for　belief；　while　it　no　doubt　sees　the　essential
nature；　still　gazes　at　an　alien　essence　—　not　its　own。　The　ethical　self…consciousness　is　directly　at
one　with　the　essential　reality；　in　virtue　of　the　universality　of　its　own　self。　Belief；　on　the　other　hand；
begins　with　an　individual　consciousness；　it　is　a　process　in　which　this　consciousness　is　always
approaching　this　unity；　without　ever　being　able　to　find　itself　at　home　with　its　essential　nature。　The
above　consciousness；　on　the　other　hand；　has　transcended　itself　as　individual；　this　mediating
process　is　completed；　and　only　because　of　this；　is　it　immediate　self…consciousness　of　ethical
substance。

The　distinction；　then；　of　self…consciousness　from　the　essential　nature　（Wesen）　is　completely
transparent。　Because　of　this　the　distinctions　found　within　that　nature　itself　are　not　accidental
characteristics。　On　the　contrary；　because　of　the　unity　of　the　essence　with　self…consciousness　（from
which　alone　discordance；　incongruity；　might　have　come）；　they　are　articulated　groups　（Massen）　of
the　unity　permeated　by　its　own　life；　unsundered　spirits　transparent　to　themselves；　stainless　forms
and　shapes　of　heaven；　that　preserve　amidst　their　differences　the　untarnished　innocence　and
concord　of　their　essential　nature。

Self…consciousness；　again；　stands　likewise　in　a　simple　and　clear　relation　to　those　different　laws。
They　are；　and　nothing　more　—　this　is　what　constitutes　the　consciousness　of　its　relation　to　them。
Thus；　Antigone　takes　them　for　the　unwritten　and　unerring　laws　of　the　god　—　

　　　　　〃Not　now；　indeed；　nor　yesterday；　but　for　aye
　　　　　It　lives；　and　no　man　knows　what　time　it　came。〃　（1）　

They　are。　If　I　ask　for　their　origin；　and　confine　them　to　the　point　whence　they　arose；　that　puts　me
beyond　them；　for　it　is　I　who　am　now　the　universal；　while　they　are　the　conditioned　and　limited。　If
they　are　to　get　the　sanction　of　my　insight；　I　have　already　shaken　their　immovable　nature；　their
inherent　constancy；　and　regard　them　as　something　which　is　perhaps　true；　but　possibly　may　also　be
not　true；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。　True　ethical　sentiment　consists　just　in　holding　fast　and　unshaken
by　what　is　right；　and　abstaining　altogether　from　what　would　move　or　shake　it　or　derive　it。　Suppose
a　deposit　has　been　made　over　to　me　on　trust；　it　is　the　property　of　another；　and　I　recognize　it
because　it　is　so；　and　remain　immovable　in　this　relation　towards　it。　But　if　I　keep　the　deposit　for
myself；　then；　according　to　the　principle　I　use　in　testing　laws　—　tautologv…I　undoubtedly　do　not
commit　a　contradiction；　for　in　that　case　I　do　not　regard　it　any　longer　as　the　property　of　another。　To
keep　anything　which　I　do　not　look　on　as　the　property；　of　some　one　else　is　perfectly　consistent。
Changing　the　point　of　view　is　not　contradiction；　for　what　we　have　to　do　with　is　not　the　point　of
view；　but　the　object　and　content；　which　is　not　to　contradict　itself。　Just　as　I　can　—　as　I　do；　when　I
give　something　away　in　a　present　—　alter　the　view　that　something　is　mine　into　the　view　that　it　is　the
property　of　another；　without　being　thereby　guilty　of　a　contradiction；　so　too　I　can　proceed　the　other
way　about。　It　is　not；　then；　because　I　find　something　not　contradicting　itself　that　it　is　right；　but　it　is
right　because　it　is　the　right。　That　something　is　the　property　of　another；　this　lies　at　the　basis　of　what　I
do。　I　have　not　to　〃reason　why〃；　nor　to　seek　out　or　hit　upon　thoughts　of　all　kinds；　connexions；
aspects；　I　have　to　think　neither　of　giving　laws　nor　of　testing　them。　By　all　such　thought…processes　on
my　part　I　should　stultify　that　relation；　since　in　point　of　fact　I　could；　if　I　liked；　make　the　opposite　suit
my　indeterminate　tautological　knowledge　just　as　well；　and　make　that　the　law。　But　whether　this　or
the　opposite　determination　is　the　right；　that　is　settled　just　as　it　stands　（an　und　für　sich）。　I　might；
for　my　own　part；　have　made　the　law　whichever　I　wanted；　and　neither　of　them　just　as　well；　and　am；
by　my　beginning　to　test　them；　thereby　already　on　an　immoral　track。　That　the　right　is　there　for　me
just　as　it　stands　—　this　places　me　within　the　substance　of　ethical　reality：　and　in　this　way　that
substance　is　the　essence　of　self…consciousness。　But　self…consciousness；　again　is　its　actualization
and　its　existence；　its　self；　and　its　will。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　Sophocles；　Antigone




C　—
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FREE　CONCRETE　MIND　（1）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（BB）
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（）　VI。　SPIRIT　（1）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Spirit

REASON　is　spirit；　when　its　certainty　of　being　all　reality　has　been　raised　to　the　level　of　truth；　and
reason　is　consciously　aware　of　itself　as　its　own　world；　and　of　the　world　as　itself。　The　development
of　spirit　was　indicated　in　the　immediately　preceding　movement　of　mind；　where　the　object　of
consciousness；　the　category　pure　and　simple；　rose　to　be　the　notion　of　reason。　When　reason
〃observes〃；　this　pure　unity　of　ego　and　existence；　the　unity　of　subjectivity　and　objectivity；　of
for…itself…ness　and　in…itself…ness…this　unity　is　immanent；　has　the　character　of　implicitness　or　of　being；
and　consciousness　of　reason　finds　itself。　But　the　true　nature　of　〃observation〃　is　rather　the
transcendence　of　this　instinct　of　finding　its　object　lying　directly　at　hand；　and　passing　beyond　this
unconscious　state　of　its　existence。　The　directly　perceived　（angeshcaut）　category；　the　thing　simply
〃found〃；　enters　consciousness　as　the　self…existence　of　the　ego…ego；　which　now　knows　itself　in　the
objective　reality；　and　knows　itself　there　as　the　self。　But　this　feature　of　the　category；　viz。　of　being
for…itself　as　opposed　to　being　—　immanent　—　within　—　itself；　is　equally　one…sided；　and　a　moment
that　cancels　itself。　The　category　therefore　gets　for　consciousness　the　character　which　it　possesses
in　its　universal　truth　—　it　is　self…contained　essential　reality　（an　und　für　sich　seyendes　Wesen）。　This
character；　still　abstract；　which　constitutes　the　nature　of　absolute　fact；　of　〃fact　itself〃；　is　the
beginnings　of　〃spiritual　reality〃　（das　geistige　Wesen）；　and　its　mode　of　consciousness　is　here　a
formal　knowledge　of　that　reality；　a　knowledge　which　is　occupied　with　the　varied　and　manifold
content　thereof。　This　consciousness　is　still；　in　point　of　fact；　a　particular　individual　distinct　from　the
general　substance；　and　either　prescribes　arbitrary　laws　or　thinks　it　possesses　within　its　own
knowledge　as　such　the　laws　as　they　absolutely　are　（an　und　für　sich）；　and　takes　itself　to　be　the
power　that　passes　judgment　on　them。　Or　again；　looked　at　from　the　side　of　the　substance；　this　is
seen　to　be　the　self…contained　and　self…sufficient　spiritual　reality；　which　is　not　yet　a　consciousness　of
its　own　self。　The　self…contained　and　self…sufficient　reality；　however；　which　is　at　once　aware　of
being　actual　in　the　form　of　consciousness　and　presents　itself　to　itself；　is　Spirit。

Its　essential　spiritual　being　（Wesen）　has　been　above　designated　as　the　ethical　substance；　spirit；
however；　is　concrete　ethical　actuality　（Wirklichkeit）。　Spirit　is　the　self　of　the　actual　consciousness；
to　which　spirit　stands　opposed；　or　rather　which　appears　over　against　itself；　as　an　objective　actual
world　that　has　lost；　however；　all　sense　of　strangeness　for　the　self；　just　as　the　self　has　lost　all　sense
of　having　a　dependent　or　independent　existence　by　i