phenomenology of mind-第75章

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directly　the　annihilation　of　this　so…called　absolute　or　duty。　The　ethical　consciousness；　however；
knows　what　it　has　to　do；　and　is　decided；　whether　it　is　to　belong　to　divine　or　human　law。　This
directness　which　characterizes　its　decision　is　something　immanent　and　inherent　（Ansichseyn）；　and
hence　has　at　the　same　time　the　significance　of　a　natural　condition　of　being；　as　we　saw。　Nature；　not
the　accident　of　circumstances　or　choice；　assigns　one　sex　to　one　law　the　other　to　the　other　law；　or
conversely　both　the　ethical　powers　themselves　establish　their　individual　existence　and　actualization
in　the　two　sexes。

Thus；　then；　because　on　the　one　side　the　ethical　order　consists　essentially　in　this　immediate
directness　of　decision；　and　therefore　only　the　one　law　is　for　consciousness　the　essential　reality；
while；　on　the　other　side；　the　powers　of　the　ethical　order　are　actual　in　the　self　of　conscious　life　—　in
this　way　these　forces　acquire　the　significance　of　excluding　one　another　and　of　being　opposed　to
one　another。　They　are　explicit　in　self…consciousness　just　as　they　were　merely　implicit　in　the　realm
of　the　ethical　order。　The　ethical　consciousness；　because　it　is　decisively　on　the　side　of　one　of　them；
is　essentially　Character。　There　is　not　for　it　equal　essentiality　in　both。　The　opposition　therefore
appears　as　an　unfortunate　collision　of　duty　merely　with　reality；　on　which　right　has　no　hold。　The
ethical　consciousness　is　qua　self…consciousness　in　this　opposition；　and　being　so；　it　at　once
proceeds　either　to　subdue　by　force　this　reality　opposed　to　the　law　which　it　accepts；　or　to　get
round　this　reality　by　craft。　Since　it　sees　right　only　on　its　own　side；　and　wrong　on　the　other；　so；　of
these　two；　that　which　belongs　to　divine　law　detects；　on　the　other　side；　mere　arbitrary　fortuitous
human　violence；　while　what　appertains　to　human　law　finds　in　the　other　the　obstinacy　and
disobedience　of　subjective　self…sufficiency。　For　the　commands　of　government　have　a　universal
sense　and　meaning　open　to　the　light　of　day；　the　will　of　the　other　law；　however；　is　the　inner
concealed　meaning　of　the　realm　of　darkness　（unterirdisch）；　a　meaning　which　appears　expressed
as　the　will　of　a　particular　being；　and　in　contradicting　the　first　is　malicious　offence。

There　arises　in　this　way　in　consciousness　the　opposition　between　what　is　known　and　what　is　not
known；　just　as；　in　the　case　of　substance；　there　was　an　opposition　between　the　conscious　and　the
unconscious；　and　the　absolute　right　of　ethical　self…consciousness　comes　into　conflict　with　the　divine
right　of　the　essential　reality。　Self…consciousness；　qua　consciousness；　takes　the　objective　actuality；
as　such；　to　have　essential　being。　Looking　at　its　substance；　however；　it　is　the　unity　of　itself　and　this
opposite；　and　the　ethical　self…consciousness　is　consciousness　of　that　substance：　the　object；　qua
opposed　to　self…consciousness；　has；　therefore；　entirely　lost　the　characteristic　of　having　essential
being　by　itself。　Just　as　the　spheres　＇of　conscious　life＇　where　the　object　is　merely　a　〃thing〃　are　long
past　and　gone；　so；　too；　are　these　spheres；　where　consciousness　sets　up　and　establishes　something
from　out　itself；　and　turns　a　particular　moment　into　the　essential　reality　（Wesen）。

Against　such　one…sidedness　actual　concrete　reality　has　a　power　of　its　own；　it　takes　the　side　of　truth
against　consciousness　and　shows　consciousness　itself　what　the　truth　is。　The　ethical　consciousness；
however；　has　drunk　from　the　cup　of　the　absolute　substance；　forgotten　all　the　one…sidedness　of
isolating　self…existence；　all　its　purposes　and　peculiar　notions；　and　has；　therefore；　at　the　same　time
drowned　in　this　Stygian　stream　all　essentiality　of　nature　and　all　the　independence　claimed　by　the
objective　reality。　Its　absolute　right；　therefore；　when　it　acts　in　accordance　with　ethical　law；　is　to　find
in　this　actualization　nothing　else　than　the　fulffiment　and　performance　of　this　law　itself：　and　that　the
deed　should　manifest　nothing　but　ethical　action。

The　ethical；　being　absolute　essence　and　absolute　power　at　once；　cannot　endure　any　perversion　of
its　content。　If　it　were　merely　absolute　essence　without　power；　it　might　undergo　perversion　at　the
hands　of　individuality。　But　this　latter；　being　ethical　consciousness；　has　renounced　all　perverting
when　it　gave　up　its　one…sided　subjectivity　（Fürsichseyn）。　Conversely；　again；　mere　power　might　be
perverted　by　the　essential　reality；　if　power　were　still　a　subjectivity　of　that　kind。　On　account　of　this
unity；　individuality　is　a　pure　form　of　the　substance　which　is　the　content；　and　action　consists　in
transition　from　thought　over　into　reality；　merely　as　the　process　of　an　unreal　opposition；　whose
moments　have　no　special　and　particular　content　distinct　from　one　another；　and　no　essential　nature
of　their　own。　The　absolute　right　of　ethical　consciousness　is；　therefore；　that　the　deed；　the　mode　and
form　of　its　realization；　should　be　nothing　else　than　it　knows。

But　the　essential　ethical　reality　has　split　asunder　into　two　laws；　and　consciousness；　taking　up　an
undivided　single　attitude　towards　law；　is　assigned　only　to　one。　Just　as　this　simple　consciousness
takes　its　stand　on　the　absolute　right　that　the　essential　reality　has　appeared

to　it　qua　ethical　as　that　reality　inherently　is；　so；　too；　this　essence　insists　on　the　right　belonging　to　its
reality；　i。e。　the　right　of　having　a　double　form。（1）　This　right　of　the　essential　reality　does　not；　however；
at　the　same　time　stand　over　against　and　opposed　to　self…consciousness；　as　if　it　were　to　be　found
anywhere　else；　rather　it　is　the　essential　nature　of　self…consciousness。　Only　there　has　it　its　existence
and　its　power；　and　its　opposition　is　the　act　of　self…consciousness　itself。　For　the　latter；　just　in　that　it
is　a　self　to　itself；　and　proceeds　to　act；　lifts　itself　out　of　the　state　of　simple　immediacy；　and　itself　sets
up　the　division　into　two。　By　the　act　it　gives　up　the　specific　character　of　the　ethical　life；　that　of　being
pure　and　simple　certainty　of　immediate　truth；　and　sets　up　the　division　of　itself　into　self　as　active　and
reality　over　against　it；　and　for　it；　therefore；　negative。　By　the　act　it　thus　becomes　Guilt。　For　the
deed　is　its　doing；　and　doing　is　its　inmost　nature。　And　the　guilt　acquires　also　the　meaning　of　Crime；
for　as　simple　ethical　consciousness　it　has　turned　to　and　conformed　itself　to　the　one　law；　but　turned
away　from　the　other　and　thus　violates　the　latter　by　its　deed。

Guilt　is　not　an　external　indifferent　entity　（Wesen）　with　the　double　meaning；　that　the　deed；　as
actualiv　manifested　to　the　light　of　day；　may　be　an　action　of　the　guilty　self；　or　may　not　be　so；　as　if
with　the　doing　of；　it　there　could　be　connected　something　external　and　accidental　that　did　not
belong　to　it；　from　which　point　of　view；　therefore；　the　action　would　be　innocent。　Rather　the　act　is
itself　this　diremption；　this　affirming　itself　for　itself；　and　establishing　over　against　this　an。　alien
external　reality。　That　such　a　reality　exists　is　due　to　the　deed　itself；　and　is　the　outcome　of　it。　Hence；
innocence　is　an　attribute　merely　of　the　want　of　action　（Nicht…thun）；　a　state　like　the　mere　being　of　a
stone；　and　one　which　is　not　even　true　of　a　child。

Looking　at　the　content；　however；　the　ethical　act　contains　the　element　of　wrongdoing；　because　it
does　not　cancel　and　transcend　the　natural　allotment　of　the　two　laws　to　the　two　sexes；　but　rather；
being　an　undivided　attitude　towards　the　law；　keeps　within　the　sphere　of　natural　immediacy；　and；
qua　acting；　turns　this　one…sidedness　into　guilt；　by　merely　laying　hold　of　one　side　of　the　essential
reality　and　taking　up　a　negative　relation　towards　the　other；　i。e。　violating　it。　Where；　in　the　general
ethical　life；　guilt　and　crime；　deeds　and　actions；　come　in；　will　be　more　definitely　brought　out　later。
Meantime；　so　much　is　at　once　clear；　that　it　is　not　this　particular　individual　who　acts　and　becomes
guilty。　For　he；　qua　this　particular　self；　is　merely　a　shadowy　unreality；　he　is　merely　qua　universal
self；　and　individuality　is　purely　the　formal　aspect　of　doing　anything　at　all；　while　its　content　is　the
laws　and　customs；　which；　for　the　individual；　are；　specifically；　the　laws　and　customs　of　his　class　or
station。　He　is　the　substance　qua　genus；　which　by　its　determinateness　becomes；　no　doubt；　a
species；　but　the　specific　form　remains　at　the　same　time　the　generic　universal。　Self…consciousness
within　the　life　of　a　nation　descends　from　the　universal　only　down　as　far　as　specific　particularity；　but
not　as　far　as　the　single　individuality；　which　sets　up　an　exclusive　self；　establishes　in　its　action　a　reality
negative　to　itself。　On　the　contrary；　the　action　of　that　self…consciousness　rests　on　secure　confidence
in　the　whole；　into　which　there　enters　nothing　alien　or　foreign；　neither　fear　nor　hostility。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2。　Opposite　Characteristics　of　Ethical　Action

Ethical　self…consciousness　now　comes　to　find　in　its　deed　the　full　explicit　meaning　of　concrete　real
action　as　much　when　it　followed　divine　law　as　when　it　followed　human。　The　law　manifest　to　it　is；　in
the　essential　reality；　bound　up　with　its　opposite；　the　essential　reality　is　the　unity　of　both；　but　the
deed　has　merely　carried　out　one　as　against　the　other。　But　being　bound　up　with　this　other　in　the
inner　reality；　the　fulfilment　of　the　one　calls　forth　the　other；　in　the　shape　of　something　which；　having
been　violated　and　now　become　hostile；　demands　revenge　—　an　attitude　which　the　deed　has　made
it　take　up。　In　the　case　of　action；　only　one　phase　of　the　decision　is　in　general　in　evidence。　The
decision；　however；　is　inherently　something　negative；　which　plants　an　〃other〃　in　opposition　to　it；
something　foreign　to　the　decision；　which　is　clear　knowledge。　Actual　reality；　therefore；　keeps
concealed　within　itself　this　other　aspect　alien　to　clear　knowledge；　and　does　not　show　itself　to
consciousness　as　it　fully　and　truly　is　（an　und　für　sich）。　In　the　story　of　？dipus　the　son　does　not　see
his　own　father　in　the　person　of　the　man　who　has　insulted　him　and　whom　be　strikes　to　death；　nor　his
mother　in　the　queen　whom　he　makes　his　wife。　In　this　way　a　hidden　power　shunning　the　light　of
day；　waylays　the　ethical　self…consciousness；　a　power　which　bursts　forth　only　after　the　deed　is
done；　and　seizes　the　doer　in　the　act。　For　the　completed　deed　is　the　removal　of　the　opposition
between　the　knowing　self　and　the　reality　over　against　it。　The　ethical　consciousness　cannot　disclaim
the　crime　and　its　guilt。　The　deed　consists　in　setting　in　motion　what　was　unmoved；　and　in　bringing
out　what　in　the　first　instance　lay　shut　up　as　a　mere　possibility；　and　thereby　linking　on　the
unconscious　to　the　conscious；　the　non…existent　to　the　existent。　In　this　truth；　therefore；　the　deed
comes　to　the　light；　—　it　is　something　in　which　a　conscious　element　is　bound　up　with　what　is
unconscious；　what　is　peculiarly　one's　own　with　what　is　alien　and　external：　—　it　is　an　essential　reality
divided　in　sunder；　whose　other　aspect　consciousness　experiences　and　also　finds　to　be　its　own
aspect；　but　as　a　power　violated　by　its　doing；　and　roused　to　hostility　against　it。

It　may　well　be　that　the　right；　which　kept　itself　in　reserve；　is　not　in　its　peculiar　form　present　to　the
consciousness　of　the　doer；　but　is　merely　implicit；　present　in　the　subjective　in