phenomenology of mind-第94章

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directly　finds　in　this　attitude　universal　certainty　of　itself　as　well；　has　its　pure　consciousness　in　this
attitude；　in　which　truth　as　well　as　immediateness　and　actuality　are　united。　Both　worlds　are
reconciled　and　heaven　is　transplanted　to　the　earth　below。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　The　outcome　is　at　once　positive　and　negative…materialism　and　agnosticism：　on　the　secular　side；　it
is　pure　utilitarianism。　

2。　Cp。　Schopenhauer：　〃The　absolute　without　predicates　is　just　matter。〃　




III
　　　　　　　　　　　　Absolute　Freedom　&　Terror　（1）

CONSCIOUSNESS　has　found　its　notion　in　the　principle　of　utility。　But　that　notion　is　partly　an
object　still；　partly；　for　that　very　reason；　still　a　purpose；　of　which　consciousness　does　not　yet　find
itself　to　be　immediately　possessed。　Utility　is　still　a　predicate　of　the　object；　not　a　subject；　not　its
immediate　and　sole　actuality。　It　is　the　same　thing　that　appeared　before　when　we　found　that
self…existence　（being…for…self）　had　not　yet　shown　itself　to　be　the　substance　of　the　remaining
moments；　a　process　by　which　the　useful　would　be　directly　nothing　else　than　the　self　of
consciousness　and　this　latter　thereby　in　its　possession。

This　revocation　of　the　form　of　objectivity　which　characterizes　the　useful　has；　however；　already
taken　effect　implicitly；　and　as　the　outcome　of　this　immanent　internal　revolution　there　comes　to　light
the　actual　revolution　of　concrete　actuality；　the　new　mode　of　conscious　life…absolute　freedom。

This　is　so　because　in　point　of　f　act　there　is　here　no　more　than　an　empty　semblance　of　objectivity
separating　self…consciousness　from　actual　possession。　For；　in　part；　all　the　validity　and　permanence
of　the　various　specific　members　of　the　organization　of　the　world　of　actuality　and　belief　have　as　a
whole　returned　into　this　simple　determination；　as　into　their　ground　and　their　indwelling　spirit：　in
part；　however；　this　organized　world　has　nothing　peculiarly　its　own　left　for　itself；　it　is　instead　pure
metaphysics　pure　notion　or　knowledge　of　self…consciousness。　That　is　to　say；　from　the　whole　and
complete　being　of　the　useful　qua　object　consciousness　recognizes　that　its　inherent　nature；　its
being…in…itself；　is　essentially　a　being　for　another；　mere　being…in…itself　since　it　is　self…less；　is　ultimately
and　in　truth　a　passive　entity；　or　something　that　is　for　another　self。　The　object；　however；　is　present
to　consciousness　in　this　abstract　form　of　purely　inherent　being；　of　pure　being…in…itself；　for
consciousness　is　the　activity　of　pure　insight；　the　separate　moments　of　which　take　the　pure　form　of
notions。

Self…existence；　being…for…self；　however；　into　which　being　for　another　returns；　in　other　words　the
self；　is　not　a　self　of　what　is　called　object；　a　self　all　its　own　and　different　from　the　ego：　for
consciousness　qua　pure　insight　is　not　an　individual　self；　over　against　which　the　object；　in　the　sense
of　having　a　self　all　its　own；　could　stand；　but　the　pure　notion；　the　gazing　of　the　self　into　self；　the
literal　and　absolute　seeing　itself　doubled。　The　certainty　of　itself　is　the　universal　subject；　and　its
notion　knowing　itself　is　the　essential　being　of　all　reality。　If　the　useful　was　merely　the　shifting　change
of　the　moments；　without　returning　into　its　own　proper　unity；　and　was　still　hence　an　object　for
knowledge　to　deal　with；　then　it　ceases　to　be　this　now。　For　knowing　is　itself　the　process　and
movement　of　those　abstract　moments；　it　is　the　universal　self；　the　self　of　itself　as　well　as　of　the
object；　and；　being　universal；　is　the　unity　of　this　process；　a　unity　that　returns　into　itself。

This　brings　on　the　scene　spirit　in　the　form　of　absolute　freedom。　It　is　the　mode　of　self…consciousness
which　clearly　comprehends　that　in　its　certainty　of　self　lies　the　essence　of　all　the　component　spiritual
spheres　of　the　concrete　sensible　as　well　as　of　the　supersensible　world；　or；　conversely；　that
essential　being　and　concrete　actuality　consist　in　the　knowledge　consciousness　has　of　itself。

It　is　conscious　of　its　pure　personality　and　with　that　of　all　spiritual　reality；　and　all　reality　is　solely
spirituality；　the　world　is　for　it　absolutely　its　own　will；　and　this　will　is　universal　will。　And　further；　this
will　is　not　the　empty　thought　of　will；　which　is　constituted　by　giving　a　silent　assent；　or　an　assent
through　a　representative；　a　mere　symbol　of　willing；　it　is　concretely　embodied　universal　will；　the　will
of　all　individuals　as　such。　For　will　is　in　itself　the　consciousness　of　personality；　of　every　single　one；
and　it　has　to　be　as　this　true　concrete　actual　as　self…conscious　essential　being　of　each　and　every
personality；　so　that　each　single　and　undivided　does　everything；　and　what　appears　as　done　by　the
whole　is　at　once　and　consciously　the　deed　of　every　single　individual。

This　undivided　substance　of　absolute　freedom　puts　itself　on　the　throne　of　the　world；　without　any
power　being　able　to　offer　effectual　resistance。　For　since　in　very　truth　consciousness　is　alone　the
element　which　furnishes　spiritual　beings　or　powers　with　their　substance；　their　entire　system；　which
is　organized　and　maintained　through　division　into　separate　spheres　and　distinct　wholes；　has
collapsed　into　a　single　whole；　when　once　the　individual　consciousness　conceives　the　object　as
having　no　other　nature　than　that　of　self…consciousness　itself；　or　conceives　it　to　be　absolutely　the
notion。　What　made　the　notion　an　existential　object　was　the　distinguishing　it　into　separate　and
separately　subsisting　spheres；　when；　however；　the　object　becomes　a　notion　there　is　nothing　fixedly
subsisting　left　in　it；　negativity　has　pervaded　all　its　moments。　It　exists　in　such　a　way　that　each
individual　consciousness　rises　out　of　the　sphere　assigned　to　it；　finds　no　longer　its　inmost　nature　and
function　in　this　isolated　area；　but　grasps　itself　as　the　notion　of　will；　grasps　all　the　various　spheres　as
the　essential　expression　of　this　will；　and　is　in　consequence　only　able　to　realize　itself　in　a　work　which
is　a　work　of　the　whole。　In　this　absolute　freedom　all　social　ranks　or　classes；　which　are　the
component　spiritual　factors　into　which　the　whole　is　differentiated；　are　effaced　and　annulled；　the
individual　consciousness　that　belonged　to　any　such　group　and　exercised　its　will　and　found　its
fulfilment　there；　has　removed　the　barriers　confining　it；　its　purpose　is　the　universal　purpose；　its
language　universal　law；　its　work　universal　achievement。

The　object　and　the　element　distinguished　have　here　lost　the　meaning　of　utility；　which　was　a
predicate　of　all　real　being；　consciousness　does　not　commence　its　process　with　the　object　as　a　sort
of　alien　element　after　dealing　with　which　it　then　and　only　then　returns　into　itself　；　the　object　is　for　it
consciousness　itself。　The　opposition　thus　consists　solely　in　the　distinction　of　individual　and　universal
consciousness。　But　the　individual　itself　is　directly　on　its　own　view　that　which　had　merely　the
semblance　of　opposition；　it　is　universal　consciousness　and　will。　The　remote　beyond　that　lies　remote
from　this　its　actual　reality；　hovers　over　the　corpse　of　the　vanished　independence　of　what　is　real　or
believed　to　be；　and　hovers　there　merely　as　an　exhalation　of　stale　gas；　of　the　empty　être　suprême。

By　doing；　away　with　the　various　distinct　spiritual　spheres；　and　the　restricted　and　confined　life　of
individuals；　as　well　as　both　its　worlds；　there　thus　remains　merely　the　process　of　the　universal
self…consciousness　within　itselfa　process　which　consists　in　a　reciprocal　interaction　between　its
universal　form　and　personal　consciousness。　The　universal　will　goes　into　itself；　is　subjectivized；　and
becomes　individual　will；　to　which　the　universal　law　and　universal　work　stand　opposed。　But　this
individual　consciousness　is　equally　and　immediately　conscious　of　itself　as　universal　will；　it　is　fully
aware　that　its　object　is　a　law　given　by　that　will；　a　work　performed　by　that　will；　in　exercising　and
carrying　out　its　activity；　in　creating　objectivity；　it　is　thus　doing　nothing　individual；　but　executing　laws
and　functions　of　the　state。

This　process　is　consequently　the　interaction　of　consciousness　with　itself；　in　which　it　lets　nothing
break　away　and　assume　the　shape　of　a　detached　object　standing　over　against　it。　It　follows　from
this；　that　it　cannot　arrive　at　a　positive　accomplishment　of　anything；　either　in　the　way　of　universal
works　of　language　or　of　those　of　actual　reality；　either　in　the　shape　of　laws　and　universal　regulations
of　conscious　freedom；　or　of　deeds　and　works　of　active　freedom。

The　accomplished　result　at　which　this　freedom；　that　gives　itself　consciousness；　might　manage　to
arrive；　would　consist　in　the　fact　that　such　freedom　qua　universal　substance　made　itself　into　an
object　and　an　abiding　existence。　This　objective　otherness　would　there　be　the　differentiation　which
enabled　it　to　divide　itself　into　stable　spiritual　spheres　and　into　the　members　of　distinct　powers。
These　spheres　would　partly　be　the　thought…constituted　factors　of　a　power　that　is　differentiated　into
legislative；　judicial　and　executive；　but　partly　they　would　be　the　substantial　elements　we　found　in　the
real　world　of　spiritual　culture；　and；　since　the　content　of　universal　action　would　be　more　closely
taken　note　of；　they　would　be　the　particular　spheres　of　labour；　which　are　further　distinguished　as
more　specific　〃estates〃　or　social　ranks。　Universal　freedom；　which　would　have　differentiated　itself　in
this　manner　into　its　various　parts；　and　by　the　very　fact　of　doing　so　would　have　made　itself　an
existing　substance；　would　thereby　be　free　from　particular　individualities；　and　could　apportion　the
plurality　of　individuals　to　its　several　organic　parts。

The　activity　and　being　of　personality　would；　however；　find　itself　by　this　process　confined　to　a
branch　of　the　whole；　to　one　kind　of　action　and　existence；　when　placed　in　the　element　of　existence；
personality　would　bear　the　meaning　of　a　determinate　personality；　it　would　cease　to　be　in　reality
universal　self…consciousness。　Neither　by　the　idea　of　submission　to　self…imposed　laws；　which　would
assign　to　it　only　a　part　of　the　whole　work；　nor　by　its　being　represented　when　legislation　and
universal　action　take　place；　does　self…consciousness　here　let　itself　be　cheated　out　of　the　actual
realitythe　fact　that　itself　lays　down　the　law　and　itself　accomplishes　a　universal　and　not　a
particular　task。　For　in　the　case　where　the　self　is　merely　represented　and　ideally　presented
（vorgestellt）；　there　it　is　not　actual：　where　it　is　by　proxy；　it　is　not。（2）

Just　as　the　individual　self…consciousness　does　not　find　itself　in　this　universal　work　of　absolute
freedom　qua　existing　substance；　as　little　does　it　find　itself　in　the　deeds　proper；　and　specific
individual　acts　of　will；　performed　by　this　substance。　For　the　universal　to　pass　into　a　deed；　it　must
gather　itself　into　the　single　unity　of　individuality；　and　put　an　individual　consciousness　in　the
forefront；　for　universal　will　is　an　actual　concrete　will　only　in　a　self　that　is　single　and　one。　Thereby；
however；　all　other　individuals　are　excluded　from　the　entirety　of　this　deed；　and　have　only　a
restricted　share　in　it；　so　that　the　deed　would　not　be　a　deed　of　real　universal　self…consciousness。

Universal　freedom　can　thus　produce　neither　a　positive　achievement　nor　a　deed；　there　is　l