phenomenology of mind-第88章

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and　their　give　and　take　an　unbroken　interfusion。　Whatever　pins　and　bolts　may　be　otherwise　driven
into　consciousness；　it　is　in　itself　this　simplicity　of　nature　in　which　everything　is　resolved；　forgotten；
and　unconstrained；　and　which；　therefore；　is　absolutely　receptive　to　the　activity　of　the　notion。　The
communication　of　pure　insight　is　on　that　account　comparable　to　a　silent　extension　or　the　expansion；
say；　of　a　scent　in　the　unresisting　atmosphere。　It　is　a　penetrating　infection；　which　did　not　previously
make　itself　noticeable　as　something　distinct　from　and　opposed　to　the　indifferent　medium　into　which
it　insinuates　its　way；　and　hence　cannot　be　averted。　Only　when　the　infection　has　become
widespread　is　that　consciousness　alive　to　it；　which　unconcernedly　yielded　to　its　influence。　For　what
this　consciousness　received　into　itself　was　doubtless　something　simple；　homogeneous；　and　uniform
throughout　it；　but　was　at　the　same　time　the　simplicity　of　self…reflected　negativity；　which　later　on　also
develops　by　its　nature　into　something　opposed；　and　thereby　reminds　consciousness　of　its　previous
state。　This　simple　uniformity　is　the　notion；　which　is　simple　knowledge　that　knows　both　itself　and　its
opposite；　this　opposite　being；　however；　cancelled　as　opposite　within　the　self…knowledge　of　the
notion。　In　the　condition；　therefore；　in　which　consciousness　becomes　aware　of　pure　insight；　this
insight　is　already　widespread。　The　struggle　with　it　betrays　the　fact　that　the　infection　has　done　its
work。　The　struggle　is　too　late；　and　every　means　taken　merely　makes　the　disease　worse；　for　the
disease　has　seized　the　very　marrow　of　spiritual　life；　viz。　consciousness　in　its　ultimate　principle
（Begriff）；　or　its　pure　inmost　nature　itself。　There　is　therefore　no　power　left　in　conscious　life　to
surmount　the　disease。　Because　it　affects　the　very　inmost　being；　its　manifestations；　so　long　as　they
remain　isolated；　are　repressed　and　subside　and　its　superficial　symptoms　are　smothered。　This　is
immensely　to　its　advantage；　for　it　does　not　now　squander　its　power　in　useless　fashion；　nor　does　it
show　itself　unworthy　of　its　true　nature　—　which　is　the　case　when　it　breaks　out　into　symptoms　and
isolated　eruptions　antithetic　to　the　content　of　belief　and　to　the　connexion　of　its　external　reality。
Rather；　being　now　an　invisible　and　unperceived　spirit；　it　insinuates　its　way　through　and　through　the
noble　parts；　and　soon　has　got　complete　bold　over　all　the　vitals　and　members　of　the　unconscious
idol；　and　then　〃some　fine　morning　it　gives　its　comrade　a　shove　with　the　elbow；　when；　bash！　crash！
—　and　the　idol　is　lying　on　the　floor〃。（2）　On　some　〃fine　morning〃；　whose　noon　is　not　red　with　blood；
if　the　infection　has　penetrated　to　every　organ　of　spiritual　life。　It　is　then　the　memory　alone　that　still
preserves　the　dead　form　of　the　spirit's　previous　state；　as　a　vanished　history；　vanished　men　know
not　how。　And　the　new　serpent　of　wisdom；　raised　on　high　before　bending　worshippers；　has　in　this
manner　painlessly　sloughed　merely　a　shrivelled　skin。　

But　this　silent　steady　working　of　the　loom　of　spirit　in　the　inner　region　of　its　substance；（3）　spirit's
own　action　being　hidden　from　itself；　is　merely　one　side　of　the　realizing　of　pure　insight。　Its　expansion
does　not　only　consist　in　like　combining　with　like；　and　its　realization　is　not　merely　an　unresisted
expansion。　The　action　of　the　principle　of　negation　is　just　as　essentially　a　developed　process　of
self…distinction；　which；　being　a　conscious　action；　must　set　forth　its　moments　in　a　definitely
manifested　expression；　and　must　make　its　appearance　in　the　form　of　a　great　noise；　and　a　violent
struggle　with　an　opposite　as　such。　

We　have；　therefore；　to　see　how　pure　insight　and　pure　intention　manifests　its　negative　attitude
towards　that　other　which　it　finds　standing　opposed　to　it。　

Pure　insight　and　intention；　operating　negatively；　can　only　be　—　since　its　very　principle　is　all
essentiality　and　there　is　nothing　outside　it　—　the　negative　of　itself。　As　insight；　therefore；　it　passes
into　the　negative　of　pure　insight；　it　becomes　untruth　and　unreason；　and　as　intention　it　passes　into
the　negative　of　pure　intention；　becomes　a　lie　and　sordid　impurity　of　purpose。　

It　involves　itself　in　this　contradiction　by　the　fact　that　it　engages　in　a　strife　and　thinks　to　do　battle
with　some　alien　external　other。　It　merely　imagines　this；　for　its　nature　as　absolute　negativity　lies　in
having　that　otherness　within　its　own　self。　The　absolute　notion　is　the　category；　it　is　the　principle　that
knowledge　and　the　object　of　knowledge　are　the　same。　In　consequence；　what　pure　insight
expresses　as　its　other；　what　it　pronounces　to　be　an　error　or　a　lie；　can　be　nothing　else　than　its　own
self；　it　can　only　condemn　what　itself　is。　What　is　not　rational　has　no　truth；　or　what　is　not
comprehended　through　a　notion；　conceptually　determined；　is　not。　When　reason　thus　speaks　of
some　other　than　itself　is；　it　in　fact　speaks　merely　of　itself；　it　does　not　therein　go　beyond　itself。　

This　struggle　with　the　opposite；　therefore；　combines　in　its　meaning　the　significance　of　being　insight's
own　actualization。　This　consists　just　in　the　process　of　unfolding　its　moments　and　taking　them　back
into　itself。　One　part　of　this　process　is　the　making　of　the　distinction　in　which　the　insight　of　reason
opposes　itself　as　object　to　itself；　so　long　as　it　remains　in　this　condition；　it　is　at　variance　with　itself。
Qua　pure　insight　it　is　without　any　content；　the　process　of　its　realization　consists　in　itself　becoming
content　to　itself；　for　no　other　can　be　made　its　content；　because　it　is　the　category　become
self…conscious。　But　since　this　insight　in　the　first　instance　thinks　of　the　content　as　in　its　opposite；　and
knows　the　content　merely　as　a　content；　and　does　not　as　yet　think　of　it　as　its　own　self；　pure　insight
misconceives　itself　in　it。　The　complete　attainment　of　insight；　therefore；　has　the　sense　of　a　process　of
coming　to　know　that　content　as　its　own；　which　was　to　begin　with　opposite　to　itself。　Its　result；
however；　will　be　thereby　neither　the　reestablishment　of　the　errors　it　fights　with；　nor　merely　its
original　notion；　but　an　insight　which　knows　the　absolute　negation　of　itself　to　be　its　own　proper
reality　to　be　its　self；　or　an　insight　which　is　its　self…understanding　notion。　

This　feature　of　the　struggle　of　enlightenment　with　errors　—　that　of　fighting　itself　in　them；　and　of
condemning　that　in　them　which　it　asserts　—　this　is　something　for　us　who　observe　the　process；　or　is
what　enlightenment　and　its　struggle　are　in　themselves　implicitly。　The　first　aspect　of　this　struggle；
however　—　the　contamination　and　defilement　of　enlightenment　through　its　pure　self…identity
accepting　the　attitude　and　function　of　destructive　negation　—　this　bow　belief　looks　upon　it；　belief
finds　it　simply　lying　unreason　and　malicious　intent；　just　as　enlightenment　in　the　same　way　regards
belief　as　error　and　prejudice。　

As　regards　its　content；　it　is　in　the　first　instance　empty　insight；　whose　content　appears　an　external
other　to　it。　It　meets　this　content；　consequently；　in　the　shape　of　something　not　yet　its　own；　as
something　that　exists　quite　independent　of　it；　and　is　found　in　belief。　

Enlightenment；　then；　conceives　its　object　in　the　first　instance　and　generally　in　such　a　way　as　to　take
it　as　pure　insight；　and　failing　to　recognize　itself　there；　interprets　it　as　error。　In　insight　as　such
consciousness　apprehends　an　object　in　such　a　manner　that　it　becomes　the　inner　being　of　conscious
life；　or　becomes　an　object　which　consciousness　permeates；　in　which　consciousness　maintains　itself；
keeps　within　itself；　and　is　present　to　itself；　and；　by　its　thus　being　the　process　of　that　object；　brings
the　object　into　being。　It　is　precisely　this　which　enlightenment　rightly　declares　belief　to　be；　when
enlightenment　says　that　the　Absolute　Reality　professed　by　belief　is　a　being　that　comes　from　belief's
own　consciousness；　is　its　own　thought；　something　produced　from　and　by　consciousness。（4）
Enlightenment；　consequently；　explains　and　declares　it　to　be　error；　to　be　a　made…up　invention　about
the　very　same　thing　as　enlightenment　itself　is。　

Enlightenment　that　seeks　to　teach　belief　this　new　wisdom　does　not；　in　doing　so；　tell　it　anything　new。
For　the　object　of　belief　itself　is　just　this　too；　viz。　a　pure　essential　reality　of　its　own　peculiar
consciousness；　so　that　this　consciousness　does　not　put　itself　down　for　lost　and　negated　in　that
object；　but　rather　puts　trust　in　it；　and　this　just　means　that　it　finds　itself　there　as　this　particular
consciousness；　finds　itself　therein　to　be　self…consciousness。　If　I　put　my　trust　in　anyone；　his　certitude
of　himself　is　for　me　the　certitude　of　myself　；　I　know　my　self…existence　in　him；　I　know　that　he
acknowledges　it；　and　that　it　is　for　him　both　his　purpose　and　his　real　nature。　Belief；　however；　is
trust；　because　the　believing　consciousness　has　a　direct　relation　to　its　object；　and　thus　sees　at　once
that　it　is　one　with　the　object；　and　in　the　object。　

Further；　since　what　is　object　for　me　is　something　in　which　I　know　myself；　I　am　at　the　same　time　in
that　object　really　in　the　form　of　another　self…consciousness；　i。e。　one　which　has　become　in　that
object　alienated　from　its　own　particular　individuation；　from　its　natural　and　contingent　existence；　but
which　partly　continues　therein　to　be　self…consciousness；　and　partly　is　there　an　essential
consciousness　just　like　pure　insight。　

In　the　notion　of　insight　there　lies　not　merely　this；　that　consciousness　knows　itself　in　the　object　it
looks　at；　and　finds　itself　directly　there；　without　first　quitting　the　thought　element　and　then　returning
into　itself；　the　notion　implies　as　well　that　consciousness　is　aware　of　itself　as　being　also　the　mediating
process；　aware　of　itself　as　active；　as　the　agency　of　production。　Through　this　it　gets　the　thought　of
this　unity　of　self　as　self　and　object。　

Belief　also　is　this　very　consciousness。　Obedience　and　action　make　a　necessary　moment；　through
which　the　certainty　of　existence　in　Absolute　Being　comes　about。　This　action　of　belief　does　not
indeed　make　it　appear　as　if　Absolute　Being　is　itself　produced　thereby。　But　the　Absolute　Being　for
belief　is　essentially　not　the　abstract　being　that　lies　beyond　the　believing　consciousness；　it　is　the　spirit
of　the　religious　communion；　it　is　the　unity　of　that　abstract　being　and　self…consciousness。　The　action
of　the　communion　is　an　essential　moment　in　bringing　about　that　it　is　this　spirit　of　the　communion。
That　spirit　is　what　it　is　by　the　productive　activity　of　consciousness；　or　rather　it　does　not　exist
without　being　produced　by　consciousness。　For　essential　as　this　process　of　production　is；　it　is　as
truly　not　the　only　basis　of　Absolute　Being；　it　is　merely　a　moment。　The　Absolute　Being　is　at　the
same　time　self…complete　and　self…contained　（an　und　für　sich　selbst）。　

On　the　other　side　the　notion　of　pure　insight　is　seen　to　be　something　else　than　its　own　object；　for
just　this　negative　character　constitutes　the　object。　Thus　from　the　other　side　it　also　expresses　the
ultimate　Being　of　belief　as　something　foreign　to　self…consciousness；　something　that　is　not　a　bone　of
its　bone；　but　is　surreptitiously　foisted　on　it　like　a　changeling　child。　But　here　enlightenment　is　entirely
foolish；　belief　experience