phenomenology of mind-第78章

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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；　to　a　peculiar　specific　power；　which　is　something
different　from　the　formal　universal；　is　chance　and　caprice。　Consciousness　of　right；　therefore；　even
in　the　very　process　of　making　its　claim　good；　experiences　the　loss　of　its　own　reality；　discovers　its
complete　lack　of　inherent　substantiality；　and　to　describe　an　individual　as　a　〃person〃　is　to　use…an
expression　of　contempt。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3。　The　Lord　of　the　World　；　the　Absolute　Person

The　free　and　unchecked　power　possessed　by　the　content　takes　determinate　shape　in　this　way。　The
absolute　plurality　of　dispersed　atomic　personalities　is；　by　the　nature　of　this　characteristic　feature；
gathered　at　the　same　time　into　a　single　centre；　alien　to　them　and　just　as　devoid　of　the　life　of　spirit
（geistlos）。　That　central　point　is；　in　one　respect；　like　the　atomic　rigidity　of　their　personality；　a　merely
single　reality；　but　in　contrast　to　their　empty　singleness；　it　has　the　significance　of　the　entire　content；
and　hence　is　taken　to　be　the　essential　element；　while　again；　in　contrast　to　their　pretended　absolute；
but　inherently　insubstantial；　reality　it　is　the　universal　power；　and　absolute　actuality。　This　〃lord　and
master　of　the　world〃　takes　himself　in　this　way　to　be　the　absolute　person；　comprising　at　the　same
time　all　existence　within　himself；　for　whom　there　exists　no　higher　type　of　spirit。　He　is　a　person：　but
the　solitary　single　person　who　has　taken　his　stand　confronting　all。　These　all　constitute　and　establish
the　triumphant　universality　of　the　one　person；　for　the　single　being；　as　such；　is　truly　what　it　is　only
qua　universal　plurality　of　single　units：　cut　off　from　this　plurality；　the　solitary　and　single　self　is；　in　fact；
a　powerless　and　unreal　self。　At　the　same　time；　it　is　the　consciousness　of　the　content　which　is
antithetically　opposed　to　that　universal　personality。　This　content；　however；　when　liberated　from　its
negative　power；　means　chaos　of　spiritual　powers；；　which；　when　let　loose；　become　elemental
independent　agencies；　break　out　into　wild　extravagances　and　excesses；　and　fall　on　one　another　in
mad　destruction。　Their　helpless　self…consciousness　is　the　powerless　inoperative　enclosure　and　the
arena　of　their　chaotic　tumult。　But　this　master　and　lord　of　the　world；　aware　of　his　being　the　sum　and
substance　of　all　actual　powers；　is　the　titanic　self…consciousness；　which　takes　itself　to　be　the　living
God。　Since；　however；　he　exists　merely　qua　formal　self；　which　is　unable　to　tame　and　subdue　those
powers；　his　procedure　and　his　self…enjoyment　are　equally　titanic　excess。（3）

The　lord　of　the　world　becomes　really　conscious　of　what　he　isviz。　the　universal　might　of
actualityby　that　power　of　destruction　which　he　exercises　against　the　contrasted　selfhood　of　his
subjects。　For　his　power　is　not　the　spiritual　union　and　concord　in　which　the　various　persons　might
get　to　know　their　own　self…consciousness。　Rather　they　exist　as　persons　separately　for　themselves；
and　all　continuity　with　others　is　excluded　from　the　absolute　punctual　atomicity　of　their　nature。　They
are；　therefore；　in　a　merely　negative　relation；　a　relation　of　exclusion　both　to　one　another

and　to　him；　who　is　their　principle　of　connexion　or　continuity。　Qua　this　continuity；　he　is　the　essential
being　and　content　of　their　formal　naturea　content；　however；　foreign　to　them；　and　a　being　hostile
in　character；　which　abolishes　just　what　they　take；　to　be　their　very　essence；　viz。　bare　self…existence
without　any　content；　mere　empty　independent　existence　each　on　its　own　account。　And；　again；　qua
the　continuity　of　their　personality；　he　destroys　this　very　personality　itself。　Juridical　personality　thus
finds　itself；　rather；　without　any　substance　of　its　own；　since　content　alien　to　it　is　imposed　on　it　and
holds　good　within　it…and　does　so　there；　because　such　content　is　the　reality　of　that　type　of
personality。　On　the　other　hand　the　passion　for　destroying　and　turning　over　everything　on　this　unreal
field　gains　for　itself　the　consciousness　of　its　complete　supremacy。　But　this　self　is　sheer　devastation；
and　hence　is　merely　beside　itself；　and　is　indeed　the　very　abandonment　and　rejection　of　its　own
self…consciousness。

Such；　then；　is　the　constitution　of　that　aspect　in　which　self…consciousness　qua　absolute　being　is
actual。　The　consciousness；　however；　that　is　driven　back　into　itself　out　of　this　actuality；　thinks　this
its　insubstantiality；　makes　it　an　object　of　thought。　Formerly　we　saw　the　stoical　independence　of
pure　thought　pass　through　Scepticism　and　find　its　true　issue　in　the　〃unhappy　consciousness〃…the
truth　about　what　constitutes　its　inherent　and　explicit　nature；　its　final　meaning。　If　this　knowledge
appeared　at　that　stage　merely　as　the　one…sided　view　of　a　consciousness　qua　consciousness；　here
the　actual　truth　of　that　view　has　made　its　appearance。　The　truth　consists　in　the　fact　that　this
universal　accepted　objectivity　of　self…consciousness　is　reality　estranged　from　it。　This　objectivity　is
the　universal　actuality　of　the　self；　but　this　actuality　is　directly　the　perversion　of　the　self　as　well…it　is
the　loss　of　its　essential　being。　The　reality　of　the　self　that　was　not　found　in　the　ethical　world；　has
been　gained　by　its　reverting　into　the　〃person〃。　What　in　the　case　of　the　former　was　all　harmony　and
union；　comes　now　on　the　scene；　no　doubt　in　developed　form；　but　self…estranged。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　Reading　〃selbstbewusstlose〃　（1st　ed。）。　

2。　v。　p。　229　ff。　

3。　Cp。　with　the　above　Hobbes'　Leviathan。　The　historical　reference　here　is　to　the　〃apotheosis〃　of
the　Roman　Emperors。　




B
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Spirit　in　Self…Estrangement　—
　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Discipline　of　Culture　and　Civilisation　（2）

The　ethical　substance　preserved　and　kept　opposition　enclosed　within　its　simple　conscious　life；　and
this　consciousness　was　in　immediate　unity　with　its　own　essential　nature。　That　nature　has　therefore
the　simple　characteristic　of　something　merely　existing　for　the　consciousness　which　is　directed
immediately　upon　it；　and　whose　〃custom〃　（Sitte）　it　is。　Consciousness　does　not　take　itself　to　be
particular　excluding　self；　nor　does　the　substance　mean　for　it　an　existence　shut　out　from　it；　with
which　it　would　have　to　establish　its　identity　only　through　estranging　itself　and　thus　at　the　same　time
have　to　produce　that　substance。　But　that　spirit；　whose　self　is　absolutely　insular；　absolutely　discrete；
finds　its　content　over　against　itself　in　the　form　of　a　reality　that　is　just　as　impenetrable　as　itself；　and
the　world　here　gets　the　characteristic　of　being　something　external；　negative　to　self…consciousness。
Yet　this　world　is　a　spiritual　reality；　it　is　essentially　the　fusion　of　individuality　with　being。　This　its
existence　is　the　work　of　self…consciousness；　but　likewise　an　actuality　immediately　present　and　alien
to　it；　which　has　a　peculiar　being　of　its　own；　and　in　which　it　does　not　know　itself。　This　reality　is　the
external　element　and　the　free　content（1）　of　the　sphere　of　legal　right。　But　this　external　reality；　which
the　lord　of　the　world　of　legal　right　takes　control　of；　is　not　merely　this　elementary　external　entity
casually　lying　before　the　self；　it　is　his　work；　but　not　in　a　positive　sense；　rather　negatively　so。　It
acquires　its　existence　by　self…consciousness　of　its　own　accord　relinquishing　itself　and　giving　up　its
essentiality；　the　condition　which；　in　that　waste　and　ruin　which　prevail　in　the　sphere　of　right；　the
external　force　of　the　elements　let　loose　seems　to　bring　upon　self…consciousness。　These　elements　by
themselves　are　sheer　ruin　and　destruction；　and　cause　their　own　overthrow。　This　overthrow；
however；　this　their　negative　nature；　is　just　the　self；　it　is　their　subject；　their　action；　and　their　process。
Such　process　and　activity　again；　through　which　the　substance　becomes　actual；　are　the
estrangement　of　personality；　for　the　immediate　self；　i。e。　the　self　without　estrangement　and　holding
good　as　it　stands；　is　without　substantial　content；　and　the　sport　of　these　raging　elements。　Its
substance　is　thus　just　its　relinquishment；　and　the　relinquishment　is　the　substance；　i。e。　the　spiritual
powers　forming　themselves　into　a　coherent　world　and　thereby　securing　their　subsistence。

The　substance　in　this　way　is　spirit；　self…conscious　unity　of　the　self　and　the　essential　nature；　but　both
also　take　each　other　to　mean　and　to　imply　alienation。　Spirit　is　consciousness　of　an　objective　reality
which　exists　independently　on　its　own　account。　Over　against　this　consciousness　stands；　however；
that　unity　of　the　self　with　the　essential　nature；　consciousness　pure　and　simple　over　against　actual
consciousness。　On　the　one　side　actual　self…consciousness　by　its　self…relinquishment　passes　over
into　the　real　world；　and　the　latter　back　again　into　the　former。　On　the　other　side；　however；　this　very
actuality；　both　person　and　objectivity；　is　cancelled　and　superseded；　they　are　purely　universal。　This
their　alienation　is　pure　consciousness；　or　the　essential　nature。　The　〃present〃　has　directly　its
opposite　in　its　〃beyond〃；　which　is　its　thinking　and　its　being　thought；　just　as　this　again　has　its
opposite　in　what　is　here　in　the　〃present〃；　which　is　the　actuality　of　the　〃beyond〃　but　alienated　from
it。

Spirit　in　this　case；　therefore；　constructs　not　merely　one　world；　but　a　twofold　world；　divided　and
self…opposed。　The　world　of　the　ethical　spirit　is　its　own　proper　present；　and　hence　every　power　it
possesses　is　found　in　this　unity　of　the　present；　and；　so　far　as　each　separates　itself　from　the　other；
each　is　still　in　equilibrium　with　the　whole。　Nothing　has　the　significance　of　a　negative　of
self…consciousness；　even　the　spirit　of　the　departed　is　in　the　life…blood　of　his　relative；　is　present　in
the　self　of　the　family；　and　the　universal　power　of　government　is　the　will；　the　self　of　the　nation。　Here；
however；　what　is　present　means　merely　objective　actuality；　which　has　its　consciousness　in　the
beyond；　each　single　moment；　as　an　essential　entity；　receives　this；　and　thereby　actuality；　from　an
other；　and　so　far　as　it　is　actual；　its　essential　being　is　something　other　than　its　own　actuality。　Nothing
has　a　spirit　self…established　and　indwelling　within　it；　rather；　each　is　outside　itself　in　what　is　alien　to
it。　The　equilibrium　of　the　whole　is　not　the　unity　which　abides　by　itself；　nor　its　inwardly　secured
tranquillity；　but　rests　on　the　estrangement　of　its　opposite。　The　whole　is；　therefore；　like　each　single
moment；　a　self…estranged　reality。　It　breaks　up　into　two　spheres：　in　one　kingdom　self…consciousness
is　actually　both　the　self　and　its　object；　and　in　another　we　have　the　kingdom　of　pure　consciousness；
which；　being　beyond　the　former；　has　no　actual　present；　but　exists　for　Faith；　is　matter　of　Belief。
Now　just　as　the　ethical　world　passes　from　the　separation　of　divine　and　human　law；　with　its　various
forms；　and　its　consciousness　gets　away　from　the　division　into　knowledge　and　the　absence　of
knowledge；　and　returns　into　the　principle　which　is　its　destiny；　into　the　self　which　is　the　power　to
destroy　and　negate　this　opposition；　so；　too；　both　these　kingdoms　of　self…alienated　spirit　will　return
into　the　self。　But　if　the　former；　the　first　self　h