phenomenology of mind-第95章

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Universal　freedom　can　thus　produce　neither　a　positive　achievement　nor　a　deed；　there　is　left　for　it
only　negative　action；　it　is　merely　the　rage　and　fury　of　destruction。

But　the　highest　reality　of　all　and　the　reality　most　of　all　opposed　to　absolute　freedom；　or　rather　the
sole　object　it　is　yet　to　become　aware　of；　is　the　freedom　and　singleness　of　actual　self…consciousness
itself。　For　that　universality　which　does　not　let　itself　attain　the　reality　of　organic　articulation；　and
whose　purpose　is　to　maintain　itself　in　unbroken　continuity；　distinguishes　itself　within　itself　all　the
while；　because　it　is　process　or　consciousness　in　general。　Moreover；　on　account　of　its　own　peculiar
abstraction；　it　divides　itself　into　extremes　equally　abstract；　into　the　cold　unbending　bare
universality；　and　the　hard　discrete　absolute　rigidity　and　stubborn　atomic　singleness　of　actual
self…consciousness。　Now　that　it　is　done　with　destroying　the　organization　of　the　actual　world；　and
subsists　in　isolated　singleness；　this　is　its　sole　object；　an　object　that　has　no　other　content　left；　no
other　possession；　existence　and　external　extension；　but　is　merely　this　knowledge　of　itself　as
absolutely　pure　and　free　individual　self。　The　point　at　which　this　object　can　be　laid　hold　of　is　solely
its　abstract　existence　in　general。

The　relation；　then；　of　these　two；　since　they　exist　for　themselves　indivisibly　and　absolutely　and　thus
cannot　arrange　for　a　common　part　to　act　as　a　means　for　connecting　them；　is　pure　negation　entirely
devoid　of　mediation；　the　negation；　moreover；　of　the　individual　as　a　factor　existing　within　the
universal。　The　sole　and　only　work　and　deed　accomplished　by　universal　freedom　is　therefore
deatha　death　that　achieves　nothing；　embraces　nothing　within　its　grasp；　for　what　is　negated　is　the
unachieved；　unfulfilled　punctual　entity　of　the　absolutely　free　self。　It　is　thus　the　most　cold…blooded
and　meaningless　death　of　all；　with　no　more　significance　than　cleaving　a　head　of　cabbage　or
swallowing　a　draught　of　water。

In　this　single　expressionless　syllable　consists　the　wisdom　of　the　government；　the　intelligence　of　the
universal　will；　this　is　how　it　fulfils　itself。　The　government　is　itself　nothing　but　the　self…established
focus；　the　individual　embodiment　of　the　universal　will。　Government；　a　power　to　will　and　perform
proceeding　from　a　single　focus；　wills　and　performs　at　the　same　time　a　determinate　order　and
action。　In　doing　so　it；　on　the　one　hand；　excludes　other　individuals　from　a　share　in　its　deed；　and；　on
the　other；　thereby　constitutes　itself　a　form　of　government　which　is　a　specifically　determinate　will
and　eo　ipso　opposed　to　the　universal　will。　By　no　manner　of　means；　therefore；　can　it　exhibit　itself　as
anything　but　a　faction。　The　victorious　faction　only　is　called　the　government；　and　just　in　that　it　is　a
faction　lies　the　direct　necessity　of　its　overthrow；　and　its　being　government　makes　it；　conversely；
into　a　faction　and　hence　guilty。　When　the　universal　will　fastens　on　this　concrete　action　of　the
government　and　treats　this　as　the　crime　which　the　government　has　committed　against　the　universal
will；　then　the　government　on　its　side　has　nothing　tangible　and　external　left　whereby　to　establish　and
show　the　guilt　of　the　will　opposing　itself　to　it；　for　what　thus　stands　opposed　to　it　as　concrete　actual
universal　will　is　merely　unreal　pure　will；　mere　intention。　Being　suspected；　therefore；　takes　the　place；
or　has　the　significance　and　effect；　of　being　guilty；　and　the　external　reaction　against　this　reality　that
lies　in　bare　inward　intention；　consists　in　the　and　barren　destruction　of　this　particular　existent　self；　in
whose　case　there　is　nothing　else　to　take　away　but　its　mere　existence。

In　this　its　characteristically　peculiar　performance；　absolute　freedom　becomes　objective　to　itself；
and　self…consciousness　finds　out　what　this　freedom　is。　In　itself　it　is　just　this　abstract
self…consciousness；　which　destroys　all　distinction　and　all　subsistence　of　distinction　within　itself。　It　is
object　to　itself　in　this　shape；　the　terror　of　death　is　the　direct　apprehension　（Anschauung）　of　this　its
negative　nature。　This　its　reality；　however；　absolute　free　self…consciousness　finds　quite　different　from
what　its　own　notion　of　itself　was；　viz。　that　the　universal　will　is　merely　the　positive　substance　of
personality；　and　that　this　latter　knows　itself　in　it　only　positively；　knows　itself　preserved　there。
Rather　for　this　self　…consciousness；　which　qua　pure　insight　completely　separates　its　positive　and
negative　natureseparates　the　unpredicated　Absolute　qua　pure　thought　and　qua　pure　matterthe
absolute　transition　of　the　one　into　the　other　is　found　here　present　in　its　reality。　The　universal　will；
qua　absolutely　positive　concrete　self…consciousnessbecause　it　is　this　self…conscious　actuality
raised　to　the　level　of　pure　thought　or　abstract　matterturns　round　into　the　negative　entity；　and
shows　itself　at　the　same　time　to　be　what　cancels　and　does　away　with　self…thinking　or
self…consciousness。

Absolute　freedom　qua　pure　self…identity　of　universal　will　thus　carries　with　it　negation；　but　in　doing
so　contains　distinction　in　general；　and　develops　this　again　as　concrete　actual　difference。　For　pure
negativity　finds　in　the　self…identical　universal　will　the　element　of　subsistence；　or　the　substance　in
which　its　moments　get　their　realization；　it　has　the　matter　which　it　can　convert　into　the　specific
nature　of　its　own　being；　and　in　so　far　as　this　substance　has　manifested　itself　to　be　the　negative
element　for　the　individual　consciousness；　the　organization　of　the　spiritual　spheres　or　〃masses〃　of　the
substance；　to　which　the　plurality　of　conscious　individuals　is　assigned；　thus　takes　shape　and　form
once　more。　These　individuals；　who　felt　the　fear　of　death；　their　absolute　lord　and　master；　submit　to
negation　and　distinction　once　more；　arrange　themselves　under　the　〃spheres〃；　and　return　to　a
restricted。　and　apportioned　task；　but　thereby　to　their　substantial　reality。

Out　of　this　tumult　spirit　would　be；　hurled　back　upon　its　starting　point；　the　ethical　world　and　the　real
world　of　spiritual　culture；　which　would　thus　have　been　merely　refreshed　and　rejuvenated　by　the
fear　of　the　lord；　that　has　again　entered　men's　hearts。　Spirit　would　have　anew　to　traverse　and
continually　repeat　this　cycle　of　necessity；　if　only　complete　interpenetration　of　self…consciousness
and　the　substance　were　the　final　result：　an　interpenetration　in　which　self…consciousness；　which　has
experienced　the　force　of　its　universal　nature　operating　negatively　upon　it；　would　try　to　know　and
find　itself　not　as　this　particular　self…consciousness　but　only　as　universal；　and　hence；　too；　would　be
able　to　endure　the　objective　reality　of　universal　spirit；　a　reality；　excluding　self…consciousness　qua
particular。

But　this　is　not　the　form　the　final　result　assumed。　For　in　absolute　freedom　there　was　no　reciprocal
interaction　either　between　an　external　world　and　consciousness；　which　is　absorbed　in　manifold
existence　or　sets　itself　determinate　purposes　and　ideas；　or　between　consciousness　and　an　external
objective　world；　be　it　a　world　of　reality　or　of　thought。　What　that　freedom　contained　was　the　world
absolutely　in　the　form　of　consciousness；　as　a　universal　will；　and；　along　with　that；　self…consciousness
gathered　out　of　all　the　dispersion　and　manifoldness　of　existence　or　all　the　manifold　ends　and
judgments　of　mind；　and　concentrated　into　the　bare　and　simple　self。　The　form　of　culture；　which　it
attains　in　interaction　with　that　essential　nature；　is；　therefore；　the　grandest　and　the　last；　is　that　of
seeing　its　pure　and　simple　reality　immediately　disappear　and　pass　away　into　empty　nothingness。（3）
In　the　sphere　of　culture　itself　it　does　not　get　the　length　of　viewing　its　negation　or　alienation　in　this
form　of　pure　abstraction；　its　negation　is　negation　with　a　filling　and　a　content…either　honour　and
wealth；　which　it　gains　in　the　place　of　the　self　that　it　has　alienated　from　itself；　or　the　language　of
esprit　and　insight；　which　the　distraught　consciousness　acquires；　or；　again；　the　negation　is　the
heaven　of　belief　or　the　principle　of　utility　belonging　to　the　stage　of　enlightenment。　All　these
determinate　elements　disappear　with　the　disaster　and　ruin　that　overtake　the　self　in　the　state　of
absolute　freedom；（4）　its　negation　is　meaningless　death；　sheer　horror　of　the　negative　which　has
nothing　positive　in　it；　nothing　that　gives　a　filling。

At　the　same　time；　however；　this　negation　in　its　actual　manifestation　is　not　something　alien　and
external。　It　is　neither　that　universal　background　of　necessity　in　which　the　moral　world　is　swamped；
nor　the　particular　accident　of　private　possession；　the　whims　and　humours　of　the　owner；　on　which
the　distraught　consciousness　finds　itself　dependent；　it　is　universal　will；　which　in　this　its　last
abstraction　has　nothing　positive；　and　hence　can　give　nothing　in　return　for　the　sacrifice。　But　just　on
that　account　this　will　is　in　unmediated　oneness　with　self…consciousness；　it　is　the　pure　positive
because　it　is　the　pure　negative；　and　that　meaningless　death；　the　unfilled；　vacuous　negativity　of　self；
in　its　inner　constitutive　principle；　turns　round　into　absolute　positivity。　For　consciousness；　the
immediate　unity　of　itself　with　universal　will；　its　demand　to　know　itself　as　this　particular　determinate
centre　in　the　universal　will；　is　changed　and　converted　into　the　absolutely　opposite　experience。
What　it　loses　there；　is　abstract　being；　the　immediate　existence　of　that　insubstantial　centre；　and　this
vanished　immediacy　is　the　universal　will　as　such　which　it　now　knows　itself　to　be；　so　far　as　it　is
superseded　and　cancelled　immediacy；　so　far　as　it　is　pure　knowledge　or　pure　will。　By　this　means　it
knows　that　will　to　be　itself；　and　knows　itself　to　be　essential　reality；　but　not　as　the　immediate
essence；　not　will　as　revolutionary　government　or　anarchy　struggling　to　establish　an　anarchical
constitution；　nor　itself　as　a　centre　of　this　faction　or　the　opposite；　the　universal　will　is　its　pure
knowing　and　willing；　and　it　is　universal　will　qua　this　pure　knowledge　and　volition。　It　does　not　lose
itself　there；　for　pure　knowledge　and　volition　is　it　far　more　than　that　atomic　point　of　consciousness。
It　is　thus　the　interaction　of　pure　knowledge　with　itself；　pure　knowledge　qua　essential　reality　is
universal　will；　while　this　essence　is　simply　and　solely　pure　knowledge。　Self…consciousness　is　thus
pure　knowledge　of　essential　reality　in　the　sense　of　pure　knowledge。　Furthermore；　qua　single　self　it
is　merely　the　form　of　the　subject　or　concrete　real　action；　a　form　which　by　it　is　known　as　form。　In
the　same　way　objective　reality；　〃being〃；　is　for　it　absolutely　self…less　form；　for　that　objective　reality
would　be　what　is　not　known：　this　knowledge；　however；　knows　knowledge　to　be　the　essential　fact。

Absolute　freedom　has　thus　squared　and　balanced　the　self…opposition　of　universal　and　single　will。
The　self…alienated　type　of　mind；　driven　to　the　acme　of　its　opposition；　where　pure　volition　and　the
purely　volitional　agent　are　still　kept　distinct；　reduces　that　opposition　to　a　transparent　form；　and
therein　finds　itself

Just　as　the　realm　of　the　real　and　actual　world　passes　over　into　that　of　belief　and　insight；　absolute
freedom　leaves　its　self…destructive　s