phenomenology of mind-第9章

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not　followed　up　by　performance。

The　other　side　no　doubt　at　times　makes　an　easy　enough　matter　of　having　a　vast　expanse　of
content。　They　haul　on　to　their　territory　a　lot　of　material；　that；　namely；　which　is　already　familiar　and
arranged　ill　order；　and　since　they　are　concerned　more　especially　about　what　is　exceptional；
strange；　and　curious；　they　seem　all　the　more　to　be　in　possession　of　the　rest；　which　knowledge　in　its
own　way　was　finished　and　done　with；　as　well　as　to　have　control　over　what　was　unregulated　and
disorderly。　Hence　everything　appears　brought　within　the　compass　of　the　Absolute　Idea；　which
seems　thus　to　be　recognized　in　everything；　and　to　have　succeeded　in　becoming　a　system　in
extenso　of　scientific　knowledge。　But　if　we　look　more　closely　at　this　expanded　system　we　find　that
it　has　not　been　reached　by　one　and　the　same　principle　taking　shape　in　diverse　ways；　it　is　the
shapeless　repetition　of　one　and　the　same　idea；　which　is　applied　in　an　external　fashion　to　different
material；　the　wearisome　reiteration　of　it　keeping　up　the　semblance　of　diversity。　The　Idea；　which　by
itself　is　no　doubt　the　truth；　really　never　gets　any　farther　than　just　where　it　began；　as　long　as　the
development　of　it　consists　in　nothing　else　than　such　a　repetition　of　the　same　formula。　If　the　knowing
subject　carries　round　everywhere　the　one　inert　abstract　form；　taking　up　in　external　fashion
whatever　material　comes　his　way；　and　dipping　it　into　this　element；　then　this　comes　about　as　near　to
fulfilling　what　is　wanted　…　viz。　a　self…origination　of　the　wealth　of　detail；　and　a　self…determining
distinction　of　shapes　and　forms…as　any　chance　fancies　about　the　content　in　question。　It　is　rather　a
monochrome　formalism；　which　only　arrives　at　distinction　in　the　matter　it　has　to　deal　with；　because
this　is　already　prepared　and　well　known。　

This　monotonousness　and　abstract　universality　are　maintained　to　be　the　Absolute。　This　formalism
insists　that　to　be　dissatisfied　therewith　argues　an　incapacity　to　grasp　the　standpoint　of　the　Absolute；
and　keep　a　firm　hold　on　it。　If　it　was　once　the　case　that　the　bare　possibility　of　thinking　of　something
in　some　other　fashion　was　sufficient　to　refute　a　given　idea；　and　the　naked　possibility；　the　bare
general　thought；　possessed　and　passed　for　the　entire　substantive　value　of　actual　knowledge；
similarly　we　find　here　all　the　value　ascribed　to　the　general　idea　in　this　bare　form　without　concrete
realization；　and　we　see　here；　too；　the　style　and　method　of　speculative　contemplation　identified　with
dissipating　and。　resolving　what　is　determinate　and　distinct；　or　rather　with　hurling　it　down；　without
more　ado　and　without　any　justification；　into　the　abyss　of　vacuity。　To　consider　any　specific　fact　as　it
is　in　the　Absolute；　consists　here　in　nothing　else　than　saying　about　it　that；　while　it　is　now　doubtless
spoken　of　as　something　specific；　yet　in　the　Absolute；　in　the　abstract　identity　A　=　A；　there　is　no
such　thing　at　all；　for　everything　is　there　all　one。　To　pit　this　single　assertion；　that　〃in　the　Absolute　all
is　one〃；　against　the　organized　whole　of　determinate　and　complete　knowledge；　or　of　knowledge
which　at　least　aims　at　and　demands　complete　development…to　give　out　its　Absolute　as　the　night　in
which；　as　we　say；　all　cows　are　black…that　is　the　very　na？veté　of　emptiness　of　knowledge。　

The　formalism　which　has　been　deprecated　and　despised　by　recent　philosophy；　and　which　has
arisen　once　more　in　philosophy　itself；　will　not　disappear　from　science；　even　though　its　inadequacy
is　known　and　felt；　till　the　knowledge　of　absolute　reality　has　become　quite　clear　as　to　what　its　own
true　nature　consists　in。　Having　in　mind　that　the　general　idea　of　what　is　to　be　done；　if　it　precedes　the
attempt　to　carry　it　out；　facilitates　the　comprehension　of　this　process；　it　is　worth　while　to　indicate
here　some　rough　idea　of　it；　with　the　hope　at　the　same　time　that　this　will　give　us　the　opportunity　to
set　aside　certain　forms　whose　habitual　presence　is　a　hindrance　in　the　way　of　speculative
knowledge。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　5。　　　The　absolute　is　subject　—　

In　my　view…a　view　which　the　developed　exposition　of　the　system　itself　can　alone　justify…everything
depends　on　grasping　and　expressing　the　ultimate　truth　not　as　Substance　but　as　Subject　as　well。　At
the　same　time　we　must　note　that　concrete　substantiality　implicates　and　involves　the　universal　or　the
immediacy　of　knowledge　itself；　as　well　as　that　immediacy　which　is　being；　or　immediacy　qua　object
for　knowledge。　If　the　generation　which　heard　God　spoken　of　as　the　One　Substance　was　shocked
and　revolted　by　such　a　characterization　of　his　nature；　the　reason　lay　partly　in　the　instinctive　feeling
that　in　such　a　conception　self…consciousness　was　simply　submerged；　and　not　preserved。　But
partly；　again；　the　opposite　position；　which　maintains　thinking　to　be　merely　subjective　thinking；
abstract　universality　as　such；　is　exactly　the　same　bare　uniformity；　is　undifferentiated；　unmoved
substantiality。　And　even　if；　in　the　third　place；　thought　combines　with　itself　the　being　of　substance；
and　conceives　immediacy　or　intuition　（Anschauung）　as　thinking；　it　is　still　a　question　whether　this
intellectual　intuition　does　not　fall　back　into　that　inert；　abstract　simplicity；　and　exhibit　and　expound
reality　itself　in　an　unreal　manner。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　6。　　　—　and　what　this　is

The　living　substance；　further；　is　that　being　which　is　truly　subject；　or；　what　is　the　same　thing；　is　truly
realized　and　actual　（wirklich）　solely　in　the　process　of　positing　itself；　or　in　mediating　with　its　own
self　its　transitions　from　one　state　or　position　to　the　opposite。　As　subject　it　is　pure　and　simple
negativity；　and　just　on　that　account　a　process　of　splitting　up　what　is　simple　and　undifferentiated；　a
process　of　duplicating　and　setting　factors　in　opposition；　which　＇process＇　in　turn　is　the　negation　of
this　indifferent　diversity　and　of　the　opposition　of　factors　it　entails。　True　reality　is　merely　this　process
of　reinstating　self…identity；　of　reflecting　into　its　own　self　in　and　from　its　other；　and　is　not　an　original
and　primal　unity　as　such；　not　an　immediate　unity　as　such。　It　is　the　process　of　its　own　becoming；　the
circle　which　presupposes　its　end　as　its　purpose；　and　has　its　end　for　its　beginning；　it　becomes
concrete　and　actual　only　by　being　carried　out；　and　by　the　end　it　involves。　

The　life　of　God　and　divine　intelligence；　then；　can；　if　we　like；　be　spoken　of　as　love　disporting　with
itself；　but　this　idea　falls　into　edification；　and　even　sinks　into　insipidity；　if　it　lacks　the　seriousness；　the
suffering；　the　patience；　and　the　labour　of　the　negative。　Per　se　the　divine　life　is　no　doubt　undisturbed
identity　and　oneness　with　itself；　which　finds　no　serious　obstacle　in　otherness　and　estrangement；　and
none　in　the　surmounting　of　this　estrangement。　But　this　〃per　se〃　is　abstract　generality；　where　we
abstract　from　its　real　nature；　which　consists　in　its　being　objective。　to　itself；　conscious　of　itself　on　its
own　account　（für　sich　zu　sein）；　and　where　consequently　we　neglect　altogether　the　self…movement
which　is　the　formal　character　of　its　activity。　If　the　form　is　declared　to　correspond　to　the　essence；　it
is　just　for　that　reason　a　misunderstanding　to　suppose　that　knowledge　can　be　content　with　the　〃per
se〃；　the　essence；　but　can　do　without　the　form；　that　the　absolute　principle；　or　absolute　intuition；
makes　the　carrying　out　of　the　former；　or　the　development　of　the　latter；　needless。　Precisely　because
the　form　is　as　necessary　to　the　essence　as　the　essence　to　itself；　absolute　reality　must　not　be
conceived　of　and　expressed　as　essence　alone；　i。e。　as　immediate　substance；　or　as　pure　self…intuition
of　the　Divine；　but　as　form　also；　and　with　the　entire　wealth　of　the　developed　form。　Only　then　is　it
grasped　and　expressed　as　really　actual。

The　truth　is　the　whole。　The　whole；　however；　is　merely　the　essential　nature　reaching　its
completeness　through　the　process　of　its　own　development。　Of　the　Absolute　it　must　be　said　that　it
is　essentially　a　result；　that　only　at　the　end　is　it　what　it　is　in　very　truth；　and　just　in　that　consists　its
nature；　which　is　to　be　actual；　subject；　or　self…becoming；　self…development。　Should　it　appear
contradictory　to　say　that　the　Absolute　has　to　be　conceived　essentially　as　a　result；　a　little
consideration　will　set　this　appearance　of　contradiction　in　its　true　light。　The　beginning；　the　principle；
or　the　Absolute；　as　at　first　or　immediately　expressed；　is　merely　the　universal。　If　we　say　〃all
animals〃；　that　does　not　pass　for　zoology；　for　the　same　reason　we　see　at　once　that　the　words
absolute；　divine；　eternal；　and　so　on　do　not　express　what　is　implied　in　them；　and　only　mere　words
like　these；　in　point　of　fact；　express　intuition　as　the　immediate。　Whatever　is　more　than　a　word　like
that；　even　the　mere　transition　to　a　proposition；　is　a　form　of　mediation；　contains　a　process　towards
another　state　from　which　we　must　return　once　more。　It　is　this　process　of　mediation；　however；　that
is　rejected　with　horror；　as　if　absolute　knowledge　were　being　surrendered　when　more　is　made　of
mediation　than　merely　the　assertion　that　it　is　nothing　absolute；　and　does　not　exist　in　the　Absolute。

This　horrified　rejection　of　mediation；　however；　arises　as　a　fact　from　want　of　acquaintance　with　its
nature；　and　with　the　nature　of　absolute　knowledge　itself。　For　mediating　is　nothing　but　self…identity
working　itself　out　through　an　active　self…directed　process；　or；　in　other　words；　it　is　reflection　into
self；　the　aspect　in　which　the　ego　is　for　itself；　objective　to　itself。　It　is　pure　negativity；　or；　reduced　to
its　utmost　abstraction；　the　process　of　bare　and　simple　becoming。　The　ego；　or　becoming　in　general；
this　process　of　mediating；　is；　because　of　its　being　simple；　just　immediacy　coming　to　be；　and　is
immediacy　itself。　We　misconceive　therefore　the　nature　of　reason　if　we　exclude　reflection　or
mediation　from　ultimate　truth。；　and　do　not　take　it　to　be　a　positive　moment　of　the　Absolute。　It　is
reflection　which　constitutes　truth　the　final　result；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　does　away　with　the
contrast　between　result　and　the　process　of　arriving　at　it。　For　this　process　is　likewise　simple；　and
therefore　not　distinct　from　the　form　of　truth；　which　consists　in　appearing　as　simple　in　the　result；　it　is
indeed　just　this　restoration　and　return　to　simplicity。　While　the　embryo　is　certainly；　in　itself；　implicitly
a　human　being；　it　is　not　so　explicitly；　it　is　not　by　itself　a　human　being　（für　sich）；　man　is　explicitly
man　only　in　the　form　of　developed　and　cultivated　reason；　which　has　made　itself　to　be　what　it　is
implicitly。　Its　actual　reality　is　first　found　here。　But　this　result　arrived　at　is　itself　simple　immediacy；　for
it　is　self　conscious　freedom；　which　is　at　one　with　itself；　and　has　not　set　aside　the　opposition　it
involves　and　left　it　there；　but　has　made　its　account　with　it　and　become　reconciled　to　it。　

What　has　been　said　may　also　be　expressed　by　saying　that　reason　is　purposive　activity。　The
exaltation　of　so…called　nature　at　the　expense　of　thought　misconceived；　and　more　especially　the
rejection　of　external　purposiveness；　have　brought　the　idea　of　purpose　in　general　into　disrepute。　All
the　same；　in　the　sense　in　which　Aristotle；　too；　characterizes　nature　as　purposive　activity；