phenomenology of mind-第77章

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pleasure；　personal　satisfaction；　and　actual　activity　as　well；　thinks　of；　and　is　concerned　for；　merely
what　is　universal；　she　makes　this　wisdom　the　laughing…stock　of　raw　and　wanton　youth；　an　object
of　derision　and　scorn；　unworthy　of　their　enthusiasm。　She　asserts　that　it　is　everywhere　the　force　of
youth　that　really　counts；　she　upholds　this　as　of　primary　significance；　extols　a　son　as　one　who　is　the
lord　and　master　of　the　mother　who　has　borne　him；　a　brother　as　one　in　whom　the　sister　finds　man
on　a　level　with　herself；　a　youth　as　one　through　whom　the　daughter；　freed　from　her　dependence　（on
the　family　unity）；　acquires　the　satisfaction　and　the　dignity　of　wifehood。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3。　Dissolution　of　the　Ethical　Being

The　community；　however；　can　preserve　itself　only　by　suppressing　this　spirit　of　individualism；　and
because　the　latter　is　an　essential　element；　the　community　likewise　creates　it　as　well；　and　creates　it；
too；　by　taking　up　the　attitude　of　seeking　to　suppress　it　as　a　hostile　principle。　Nevertheless；　since；
by　cutting　itself　off　from　the　universal　purpose；　this　hostile　element　is　merely　evil；　and　in　itself　of　no
account；　it　would　be　quite　ineffective　if　the　community　itself　did　not　recognize　the　force　of　youth；
（manhood；　which；　while　immature；　still　remains　in　the　condition　of　particularity）；　as　the　force　of　the
whole。　For　the　community；　the　whole；　is　a　nation；　it　is　itself　individuality；　and　really　only　is
something　for　itself　by　other　individualities　being　for　it；　by　its　excluding　these　from　itself　and
knowing　itself　independent　of　them。　The　negative　side　of　the　community；　suppressing　the　isolation
of　individuals　within　its　own　bounds；　but　originating　activity　directed　beyond　those　bounds；　finds
the　weapons　of　its　warfare　in　individuals。　War　is　the　spirit　and　form　in　which　the　essential　moment
of　ethical　substance；　the　adsolute　freedom　of　ethical　self…consciousness　from　all　and　every　kind　of
existence；　is　manifestly　confirmed　and　realized。　While；　on　the　one　hand；　war　makes　the　particular
spheres　of　property　and　personal　independence；　as　well　as　the　personality　of　the　individual　himself；
feel　the　force　of　negation　and　destruction；　on　the　other　hand　this　engine　of　negation　and　destruction
stands　out　as　that　which　preserves　the　whole　in　security。　The　individual　who　provides　pleasure　to
woman；　the　brave　youth；　the　suppressed　principle　of　ruin　and　destruction；　comes　now　into
prominence；　and　is　the　factor　of　primary　significance　and　worth。　It　is　now　physical　strength　and
what　seems　like　the　chance　of　fortune；　that　decide　as　to　the　existence　of　ethical　life　and　spiritual
necessity。　Because　the　existence　of　the　ethical　life　thus　rests　on　physical　strength　and　the　chances
of　fortune；　it　is　eo　ipso　settled　that　its　overthrow　has　come。　While　only　household　gods；　in　the
former　case；　gave　way　before　and　were　absorbed　in　the　national　spirit；　here　the　living　individual
embodiments　of　the　national　spirit　fall　by　their　own　individuality　and　disappear　in　one　universal
community；　whose　bare　universality　is　soulless　and　dead；　and　whose　living　activity　is　found　in　the
particular　individual　qua　particular。　The　ethical　form　and　embodiment　of　the　life　of　spirit　has
passed　away；　and　another　mode　appears　in　its　place。

This　disappearance　of　the　ethical　substance；　and　its　transition　into　another　mode　are　thus
determined　by　the　ethical　consciousness　being　directed　upon　the　law　essentially　in　an　immediate
way。　It　lies　in　this　character　of　immediacy　that　nature　at　all　enters　into　the　acts　which　constitute　the
ethical　life。　Its　realization　simply　reveals　the　contradiction　and　the　germ　of　destruction；　which　lie　hid
within　that　very　peace　and　beauty　belonging　to　the　gracious　harmony　and　peaceful　equilibrium　of
the　ethical　spirit。　For　the　essence　and　meaning　of　this　immediacy　contains　a　contradiction：　it　is　at
once　the　unconscious　peace　of　nature　and　the　self…conscious　unresting　peace　of　spirit。　On　account
of　this　〃naturalness〃；　this　ethical　nation　is；　in　general；　an　individuality　determined　by　nature；　and
therefore　limited；　and　thus　finds　its　dissolution　in；　and　gives　place　to；　another　individuality。　This
determinateness　being　given　a　positive　existence；　is　a　limitation；　but　at　the　same　time　is　the　negative
element　in　general　and　the　self　of　individuality。　In　so　far；　however；　as　this　determinateness　passes
away；　the　life　of　spirit　and　this　substance；　conscious　of　itself　in　all　its　component　in　duals；　are　lost。
The　substance　comes　forth　and　stands　apart　as　a　formal　universality　of　all　the　component
individuals；　and　no　longer　dwells　within　them　as　living　spirit；　instead；　the　uniform　solidarity　of　their
individuality　has　burst　into　a　plurality　of　separate　points。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　Viz。　divine　and　human　law。　

2。　An　adaptation　from　Antigone；　926。　

3。　The　element　that　so　permeates　his　being　as　to　constitute　his　controlling　necessity　and　destiny。　

4。　Eteocles　and　Polynices：　v。　？dipus　at　Colonus。　

5。　viz。　the　throne　of　their　Father　？dipus。　

6。　v。　Antigone。　

7。　Refers　to　the　attack　of　Argos　against　Thebes：　v。　Antigone。





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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Condition　of　Right：
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Legal　Status

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　Personality

THE　general　comprehensive　unity；　into　which　the　living　immediate　unity　of　individuality　and　the
ethical　substance　falls　back；　is　the　soulless　（geistlos）　community；　which　has　ceased　to　be　the
unselfconscious（1）　substance　of　individuals；　and　in　which　they　now；　each　in　his　separate　individual
existence；　count　as　selves　and　substances　with　a　being　of　their　own。　The　universal　being　thus　split
up　into　the　atomic　units　of　a　sheer　plurality　of　individuals；　this　inoperative；　lifeless　spirit　is　a
principle　of　equality　in　which　all　count　for　as　much　as　each；　i。e。　have　the　significance　of　Persons。
What　in　the　realm　of　the　ethical　life　was　called　the　hidden　divine　law　has　in　fact　come　out　of
concealment　to　the　light　of　actuality。　In　the　former　the　individual　was；　and　was　counted；　actual
merely　as　a　blood　relation；　merely　as　sharing　in　the　general　life　of　the　family。　Qua　particular
individual；　he　was　the　selfless　departed　spirit；　now；　however；　he　has　come　out　of　his　unreality。
Because　the　ethical　substance　is　only　objective；　〃true〃；　spirit；　the　individual　on　that　account　turns
back　to　the　immediate　certainty　of　his　own　self；　he　is　that　substance　qua　positive　universal；　but　his
actuality　consists　in　being　a　negative　universal　self。

We　saw　the　powers　and　forms　of　the　ethical　world　sink　in　the　bare　necessity　of　mere　Destiny。　This
power　of　the　ethical　world　is　the　substance　turning　itself　back　into　its　ultimate　and　simple　nature。
But　that　absolute　being　turning　back　into　itself；　that　very　necessity　of　characterless　Destiny；　is
nothing　else　than　the　Ego　of　self…consciousness。

This；　therefore；　is　taken　henceforth　as　the　absolutely　real；　as　the　ultimate　self…contained　reality。　To
be　so　acknowledged　is　its　substantiality；　but　this　is　abstract　universality；　because　its　content　is　this
rigid　self；　not　the　self　dissolved　in　the　substance。

Personality；　then；　has　here　risen　out　of　the　life　and　activity　of　the　ethical　substance。　It　is　the
condition　in　which　the　independence　of　consciousness　has　actual　concrete　validity。　The
unrealized　abstract　thought　of　such　independence；　which　arises　through　renouncing　actuality；　was
at　an　earlier　stage　before　our　notice　in　the　form　of　〃Stoical　self…consciousness〃。　Just　as　the　latter
was　the　outcome　of　〃Lordship　and　Bondage〃；（2）　the　mode　in　which　self…consciousness　exists
immediatelyso　personality　is　the　outgrowth　of　the　immediate　life　of　spirit　which　is　the　universal
controlling　will　of　all；　as　well　as　their　dutiful　obedience　and　submissive　service。　What　in　Stoicism
was　implicit　merely　in　an　abstract　way；　is　now　an　explicit　concrete　world。　Stoicism　is　nothing　else
than　the　mood　of　consciousness　which　reduces　to　its　abstract　form　the　principle　of　legal　status；　the
principle　of　the　sphere　of　rightan　independence　devoid　of　the　qualities　of　spirit　（geistlos）。　By　its
flight　from　actuality　it　attained　merely　the　idea　of　independence：　it　is　absolutely　subjective；　exists
solely　for　itself；　in　that　it　does　not　link　its　being　to　anything　that　exists；　but　is　prepared　to　give　up
every　kind　of　existence；　and　places　its　essential　meaning　in　the　unity　of　mere　thinking。　In　the　same
manner；　the　〃right〃　of　a　〃person〃　is　not　linked　on　to　a　richer　or　more　powerful　existence　of　the
individual　qua　individual；　nor　again　connected　with　a　universal　living　spirit；　but；　rather；　is　attached
to　the　mere　unit　of　its　abstract　reality；　or　to　that　unit　qua　self…consciousness　in　general。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2。　Contingency　of　the　Person

Now　just　as　the　abstract　independence　of　Stoicism　set　forth　the　stages　of　its　actualization；　so；　too；
this　last　form　of　independence　＇Personality＇　will　recapitulate　the　process　of　the　former　mode。　The
former　＇Stoicism＇　passes　over　into　the　state　of　sceptical　confusion；　into　a　broken　gibber　of
negation；　which　without　adopting　any　permanent　form　strays　from　one　contingent　mode　of　being
and　thinking　to　another；　dissipates　them　indeed　in　absolute　independence；　but　just　as　readily
creates　them　again　once　more。　In　fact；　it　is　simply　the　contradiction　of　consciousness　claiming　to
be　at　once　independent　and　yet　devoid　of　independence。　In　like　manner；　the　personal
independence　characteristic　of　the　sphere　of　right　is　really　a　similar　universal　confusion　and
reciprocal　dissolution　of　this　kind。　For　what　passes　for　the　absolute　essential　reality　is
self…consciousness　in　the　sense　of　the　bare　empty　unit　of　the　person。　As　against　this　empty
universality；　the　substance　has　the　form　of　what　supplies　the　filling　and　the　content；　and　this　content
is　now　left　completely　detached　and　disconnected；　for　the　spirit；　which　kept　it　in　subjection　and
held　it　together　in　its　unity；　is　no　longer　present。　The　empty　unit　of　the　person　is；　therefore；　as
regards　its　reality；　an　accidental　existence；　a　contingent　insubstantial　process　and　activity　that
comes　to　no　durable　subsistence。　Just　as　was　the　case　in　Scepticism；　the　formalism　of　〃right〃　is；
thus；　by　its　very　conception；　without　special　content；　it　finds　at　its　hand　the　fact　of　〃possession；〃　a
fact　subsisting　in　multiplicity；　and　imprints　thereon　the　abstract　universality；　by　which　it　is　called
〃property〃the　same　sort　of　abstraction　as　Scepticism　made　use　of。　But　while　the　reality　so
determined　is　in　Scepticism　called　a　mere　appearance；　〃mere　semblance〃；　and　has　merely　a
negative　value；　in　the　case　of　right　it　has　a　positive　significance。　The　negative　value　in　the　former
case　consists　in　the　real　having　the　meaning　of　self　qua　thought；　qua　inherent　universal；　the　positive
significance　in　the　latter　case；　however；　consists　in　its　being　mine　in　the　sense　of　the　category；　as
something　whose　validity　is　admitted；　recognized；　and　actual。　Both　are　the　same　abstract　universal；
The　actual　content；　the　proper　value　of　what　is　〃mine〃…whether　it　be　an　external　possession；　or
again　inner　riches　or　poverty　of　mind　and　character…is　not　contained　in　this　empty　form　and　does
not　concern　it。　The　content　belongs；　therefore