phenomenology of mind-第84章

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language　of　flattery；　however；　as　already　remarked；　is　that　of　a　spirit　still　one…sided。　To　be　sure　its
constituent　elements　are；　on　the　one　hand；　a　self　moulded　by　service　into　a　shape　where　it　is
reduced　to　bare　existence；　and；　on　the　other；　the　inherent　reality　of　the　power　dominating　the　self。
Yet　the　bare　principle；　the　pure　conception；　in　which　the　simple　self　and　the　inherent　reality
（Ansich）；　that　pure　ego　and　this　pure　reality　or　thought；　are　one　and　the　same　thing　—　this
conceptual　unity　of　the　two　aspects　between　which　the　reciprocity　takes　effect；　is　not　consciously
felt　when　this　language　is　used。　The　object　is　consciously　still　the　inherent　reality　in　opposition　to
the　self；　in　other　words；　the　object　is　not　for　consciousness　at　the　same　time　its　own　proper　self　as
such。

The　language　expressing　the　condition　of　disintegration；　wherein　spiritual　life　is　rent　asunder；　is；
however；　the　perfect　form　of　utterance　for　this　entire　realm　of　spiritual　culture　and　development；　of
the　formative　process　of　moulding　self…consciousness　（Bildung）；　and　is　the　spirit　in　which　it　most
truly　exists。　This　self…consciousness；　which　finds　befitting　the　rebellion　that　repudiates　its　own
repudiation；　is　eo　ipso　absolute　self…identity　in　absolute　disintegration；　the　pure　activity　of
mediating　pure　self…consciousness　with　itself。　It　is　the　oneness　expressed　in　the　identical　judgment；
where　one　and　the　same　personality　is　subject　as　well　as　predicate。　But　this　identical　judgment　is　at
the　same　time　the　infinite　judgment；　for　this　personality　is　absolutely　split　in　two；　and　subject　and
predicate　are　entities　utterly　indifferent　one　to　the　other；　which　have　nothing　to　do　with　each　other；
with　no　necessary　unity；　so　much　so　that　each　has　the　power　of　an　independent　personality　of　its
own。　What　exists　as　a　self　on　its　own　account　has　for　its　object　its　own　self…existence；　which　is
object　in　the　sense　of　an　absolute　other；　and　et　at　the　same　time　directly　in　the　form　of　itself　—　itself
in　the　sense　of　an　other；　not　as　if　this　had　an　other　content；　for　the　content　is　the　same　self　in　the
form　of　an　absolute　opposite；　with　an　existence　completely　all　its　own　and　indifferent。

We　have；　then；　here　the　spirit　of　this　real　world　of　formative　culture；　conscious　of　its　own　nature　as
it　truly　is；　and　conscious　of　its　ultimate　and　essential　principle　（Begriff）。

This　type　of　spiritual　life　is　the　absolute　and　universal　inversion　of　reality　and　thought；　their　entire
estrangement　the　one　from　the　other；　it　is　pure　culture。　What　is　found　out　in　this　sphere　is　that
neither　the　concrete　realities；　state…power　and　wealth；　nor　their　determinate　conceptions；　good　and
bad；　nor　the　consciousness　of　good　and　bad　（the　consciousness　that　is　noble　and　the
consciousness　that　is　base）　possess　real　truth；　it　is　found　that　all　these　moments　are　inverted　and
transmuted　the　one　into　the　other；　and　each　is　the　opposite　of　itself。

The　universal　power；　which　is　the　substance；　when　it　gains　a　spiritual　nature　peculiarly　its　own
through　the　principle　of　individuality；　accepts　the　possession　of　a　self　of　its　own　merely　as　a。　name
by　which　it　is　described；　and；　even　in　being　actual　power；　is　really　so　powerless　as　to　have　to
sacrifice　itself。　But　this　self…less　reality　given　over　to　others；　this　self　that　is　turned　into　a　thing；　is　in
fact　the　return　of　the　reality　into　itself；　it　is　a　self…existence　that　is　there　for　its　own　sake；　it　is　the
existence　of　spirit。

The　principles　belonging　to　these　realities；　the　thoughts　of　good　and　bad；　are　similarly　transmuted
and　reversed　in　this　process；　what　is　characterized　as　good　is　bad；　and　vice　versa。　The
consciousness　of　each　of　these　moments　by　itself；　the　conscious　types　judged　as　noble　and　base
—　these　are　rather　in　their　real　truth　similarly　the　reverse　of　what　these　specific　forms　intend　to　be；
nobility　is　base　and　repudiated；　just　as　what　is　repudiated　as　base　turns　round　into　the　nobleness
that　characterizes　the　most　highly　developed　form　of　free　self…consciousness。

Looked　at　formally；　everything　is　likewise　in　its　external　aspects　the　reverse　of　what　it　is　internally
for　itself；　and　again　it　is　not　really　and　in　truth　what　it　is　for　itself；　but　something　else　than　it　wants　to
be；　its　existence　on　its　own　account　is；　strictly　speaking；　the　loss　of　self；　and　alienation　of　self　is
really　self…preservation。

The　state　of　things　brought　about　here；　then；　is　that　all　moments　execute　justice　on　one　another　all
round；　each　is　just　as　much　in　a　condition　of　inherent　self…alienation　as　it　moulds　itself　into　its
opposite；　and　in　this　way　reverses　the　nature　of　that　opposite。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（b）　The　Language　of　Distraction

Spirit　truly　objective；　however；　is　just　this　unity　of　absolutely　separate　moments；　and　in　fact　comes
into　existence　as　the　common　ground；　the　mediating　agency；　just　through　the　independent　reality　of
these　self…less　extremes。　Its　existence　consists　in　universal　talk　and　depreciatory　judgment　rending
and　tearing　everything；　before　which　all　those　moments　are　broken　up　that　are　meant　to　signify
something　real　and　to　stand　for　actual　members　of　the　whole；　and　which　at　the　same　time　plays
with　itself　this　game　of　self…dissolution。　This　judging　and　talking　is；　therefore；　the　real　truth；　which
cannot　be　got　over；　while　it　overpowers　everything　it　is　that　which　in　this　real　world　is　alone　truly
of　importance。　Each　part　of　this　world　comes　to　find　there　its　spirit　expressed；　or　gets　to　be
spoken　of　with　esprit　and　finds　said　of　it　what　it　is。

The　honest（8）　soul　takes　each　moment　as　a　permanent　and　essential　fact；　and　is　the　uncultivated
thoughtless　condition　that　does　not　think　and　does　not　know　that　it　is　likewise　doing　the　very
inverse。　The　distraught　and　disintegrated　soul　is；　however；　aware　of　inversion；　it　is；　in　fact；　a
consciousness　of　absolute　inversion：　the　conceptual　principle　predominates　there；　brings　together
into　a　single　unity　the　thoughts　that　lie　far　apart　in　the　case　of　the　honest　soul；　and　the　language
conveying　its　meaning　is；　therefore；　full　of　esprit　and　wit　（geistreich）。

The　content　uttered　by　spirit　and　uttered　about　itself　is；　then；　the　inversion　and　perversion　of　all
conceptions　and　realities；　a　universal　deception　of　itself　and　of　others。　The　shamelessness
manifested　in　stating　this　deceit　is　just　on　that　account　the　greatest　truth。　This　style　of　speech　is　the
madness　of　the　musician　〃who　piled　and　mixed　up　together　some　thirty　airs；　Italian；　French；　tragic；
comic；　of　all　sorts　and　kinds；　now；　with　a　deep　bass；　he　descended　to　the　depths　of　hell；　then；
contracting　his　throat　to　a　high；　piping　falsetto；　he　rent　the　vault　of　the　skies；　raving　and　soothed；
haughtily　imperious　and　mockingly　jeering　by　turns〃。（9）　The　placid　soul（10）　that　in　simple　honesty　of
heart　takes　the　melody　of　the　good　and　true　to　consist　in　harmony　of　sound　and　uniformity　of
tones；　i。e。　in　a　single　note；　regards　this　style　of　expression　as　a　〃fantastic　mixture　of　wisdom　and
folly；　a　melée　of　as　much　skill　as　low　cunning；　composed　of　ideas　as　likely　to　be　right　as　wrong；
with　as　complete　a　perversion　of　sentiment；　with　as　much　consummate　shamefulness　in　it；　as
absolute　frankness；　candour；　and　truth。　It　will　not　be　able；　to　refrain　from　breaking　out　into　all
these　tones；　and　running　up　and　down　the　whole　gamut　of　feeling；　from　the　depths　of　contempt
and　repudiation　to　the　highest　pitch　of　admiration　and　stirring　emotion。　A　vein　of　the　ridiculous　will
be　diffused　through　the　latter；　which　takes　away　from　their　nature〃；　the　former　will　find　in　their　very
candour　a　strain　of　atoning　reconcilement；　will　find　in　their　shuddering　depths　the　all…powerful
strain　which　gives　to　itself　spirit。

If　we　consider；　by　way　of　contrast　to　the　mode　of　utterance　indulged　in　by　this　self…transparent
distracted　type　of　mind；　the　language　adopted　by　that　simple；　placid　consciousness　of　the　good
and　the　true；　we　find　that　it　can　only　speak　in　monosyllables　when　face　to　face　with　the　frank　and
self…conscious　eloquence　of　the　mind　developed　under　the　influence　of　culture；　for　it　can　say
nothing　to　the　latter　that　the　latter　does　not　know　and　say。　If　it　gets　beyond　speaking　in
monosyllables；　then　it　says　the　same　thing　that　the　cultivated　mind　expresses；　but　in　doing　so
commits；　in　addition；　the　folly　of　imagining　that　it　is　saying　something　new；　something　different。　Its
very　syllables；　〃disgraceful〃；　〃base〃；　are　this　folly　already；　for　the　other　says。　them　of　itself。　This
latter　type　of　spirit　perverts　in　its　mode　of　utterance　everything　that　sounds　monotonous；　because
this　self…sameness　is　merely　an　abstraction；　but　in　its　actual　reality　is　intrinsically　and　inherently
perversion。　On　the　other　hand；　again；　the　unsophisticated　mind　takes　under　its　protection　the　good
and　the　noble　（i。e。　what　retains　its　identity　of　meaning　in　being　objectively　expressed）；　and　defends
it　in　the　only　way　here　possible…that　is　to　say；　the　good　does　not　lose　its　value　because　it　may　be
linked　with　what　is　bad　or　mingled　with　it；　for　to　be　thus　associated　with　badness　is　its　condition
and　necessity；　and　the　wisdom　of　nature　lies　in　this　fact。　Yet　this　unsophisticated　mind；　while　it
intended　to　contradict；　has　merely；　in　doing　so；　gathered　into　a　trifling　form　the　meaning　of　what
spirit　said；　and　put　it　in　a　manner　which；　by　turning　the　opposite　of　noble　and　good　into　the
necessary　condition　of　noble　and　good；　thoughtlessly　supposes　itself　to　convey　something　else　than
that　the　so…called　noble　and　good　is　by　its　very　nature　the　reverse　of　itself；　or　that　what　is　bad　is；
conversely；　something　excellent。

If　the　na？ve　consciousness　makes　up　for　this　barren；　soulless　idea　by　the　concrete　reality　of　what
is　excellent；　by　adducing　an　example　of　what　is　excellent；　whether　in　the　form　of　a　fictitious　case　or
a　true　story；　and　thus　shows　it　to　be　not　an　empty　name；　but　an　actual　fact；　then　it　has　against　it　the
universal　reality　of　the　perverted　action　of　the　entire　real　world；　where　that　example　constitutes
merely　something　quite　isolated　and　particular；　merely　an　espece；　a　sort　of　thing。　And　to　represent
the　existence　of　the　good　and　the　noble　as　an　isolated　particular　anecdote；　whether　fictitious　or
true；　is　the　bitterest　thing　that　can　be　said　about　it。

Finally；　should　the　na？ve　mind　require　this　entire　sphere　of　perversion　to　be　dissolved　and　broken
up；　it　cannot　ask　the　individual　to　withdraw　out　of　it；　for　even　Diogenes　in　his　tub　＇with　his
pretence　of　withdrawal＇　is　under　the　sway　of　that　perversion；　and　to　ask　this　of　the　particular
individual　is　to　ask　him　to　do　precisely　what　is　taken　to　be　bad；　viz。　to　care　for　himself　as
individual。　But　if　the　demand　to　withdraw　is　directed　at　the　universal　individual；　it　cannot　mean　that
reason　must　again　give　up　the　culture　and　development　of　spiritual　conscious　life　which　it　has
reached；　that　reason　should　let　the　extensive　riches　of　its　moments　sink　back　into　the　na？veté　of
natural　emotion；　and　revert　and　approximate　to　the　wild　condition　of　the　animal　consciousness；
which　is　also　called　the　natural　state　of　innocence。　On　the　contrary；　the　demand　for　this　dissolution
can　only　be　addressed　to　the　spirit　of　cu