phenomenology of mind-第114部分

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knowledge　and　conviction　as　to　its　being　duty；　by　knowledge　of　self　in　the　deed　done。　When　the
deed　ceases　to　have　this　self　in　it；　it　ceases　to　be　what　is　alone　its　essential　nature。　Its　existence；　if
deserted　by　this　consciousness　of　self；　would　be　an　ordinary　reality；　and　the　act　would　appear　to
us　a　way　of　fulfilling　one's　pleasure　and　desire。　What　ought　to　exist　has　here　essentiality　only　by　its
being　known　to　be　individuality　giving　itself　expression。　And　its　being　thus　known　is　what　is
acknowledged　and　recognized　by　others；　and　is　that　which　as　such　ought　to　have　existence。

The　self　enters　existence　as　self。　The　spirit　which　is　certain　of　itself　exists　as　such　for　others；　its
immediate　act　is　not　what　is　valid　and　real；　what　is　acknowledged　by　others　is；　not　the　determinate
element；　not　the　inherent　being；　but　solely　and　simply　the　self　knowing　itself　as　such。　The　element
which　gives　permanence　and　stability　is　universal　self…consciousness。　What　enters　this　element
cannot　be　the　effect　of　the　act：　the　latter　does　not　last　there；　and　acquires　no　permanence：　only
self…consciousness　is　what　is　recognized　and　gains　concrete　reality。

Here　again；（4）　then；　we　see　Language　to　be　the　form　in　which　spirit　finds　existence。　Language　is
self…consciousness　existing　for　others；　it　is　self…consciousness　which　as　such　is　there　immediately
present；　and　which　in　its　individuality　is　universal。　Language　is　self　separating　itself　from　itself；
which　as　the　pure　ego　identical　with　ego　becomes　an　object　to　itself；　which　at　once　maintains　itself
in　this　objective　form　as　this　actual　self；　and　at　the　same　time　fuses　directly　with　others　and　is　their
self…consciousness。　The　self　perceives　itself　at　the　same　time　that　it　is　perceived　by　others：　and　this
perceiving　is　just　existence　which　has　become　a　self。

The　content；　which　language　has　here　obtained；　is　no　longer　the　self　we　found　in　the　world　of
culture；　perverted；　perverting；　and　distraught。　It　is　spirit　which；　having　returned　to　itself；　is　certain
of　itself；　certain　in　itself　of　its　truth；　or　of　its　own　act　of　recognition；　and　which　is　recognized　as　this
knowledge。　The　language　of　the　ethical　spirit　of　society　is　law；　and　simple　command　and
complaint；　which　is　but　a　tear　shed　over　necessity。　Moral　consciousness；　on　the　other　hand；
remains　dumb；　shut　up　within　its　inner　life；　for　self　has　no　existence　as　yet　in　its　case：　rather
existence　and　self　there　stand　as　yet　only　in　external　relation　to　each　other。　Language；　however；
comes　forward　merely　as　the　mediating　element　only　between　self…consciousnesses　independent
and　recognized；　and　the　existent　self　means　immediately　universal　recognition；　means　manifold
recognition　and　in　this　very　manifoldness　simple　recognition。　What　the　language　of　conscience
contains　is　the　self　knowing　itself　as　essential　reality。　This　alone　is　what　that　language　expresses；
and　this　expression　is　the　true　realization　of　〃doing〃；　of　action；　and　is　the　validation　of　the　act。
Consciousness　expresses　its　conviction：　in　this　conviction　alone　is　the　action　duty：　it　holds　good　as
duty；　too；　solely　by　the　conviction　being　expressed。　For　universal　self…consciousness　stands
detached　from　the　specific　act　which　merely　exists：　the　act　qua　existence　means　nothing　to　it：　what
it　holds　of　importance　is　the　conviction　that　the　act　is　a　duty；　and　this　appears　concretely　in
language。

To　realize　the　act　means　here　not　translating　its　content　from　the　form　of　purpose；　or
self…existence；　into　the　form　of　abstract　reality：　it　means　translating　it　from　the　form　of　immediate
certainty　of　self；　which　takes　its　knowledge；　its　self…existence；　to　be　the　essential　fact；　into　the　form
of　the　assurance　that　consciousness　is　convinced　of　its　duty；　and；　being　conscience；　knows　of　itself
what　duty　is。　This　assurance　thus　guarantees　that　consciousness　is　convinced　of　its　conviction
being　the　essential　fact。

Whether　the　assurance；　that　it　acts　from　conviction　of　duty；　is　true；　whether　it　really　is　duty　which
is　done　—　these　questions　or　doubts　have　no　meaning　as　directed　against　conscience。　In　the　case
of　the　question；　whether　the　assurance　is　true；　it　would　be　assumed　that　the　inner　attention　is
different　from　the　one　put　forward；　i。e。　that　the　willing　of　the　individual　self　can　be　separated　from
duty；　from　the　will　of　the　universal　and　pure　consciousness：　the　latter　will　would　in　that　case　be　a
matter　of　words；　while　the　former　would　be　strictly　the　real　moving　principle　of　the　act。　But　such　a
distinction　between　the　universal　consciousness　and　the　individual　self　is　precisely　what　has　been
cancelled；　and　the　superseding　of　it　constitutes　conscience。　Immediate　knowledge　on　the　part　of
self　which　is　certain　of　itself　is　law　and　duty。　Its　intention；　by　being　its　own　intention；　is　what　is
right。　All　that　is　required　is　that　it　should　know　this；　and　state　its　conviction　that　its　knowledge　and
will　are　the　right。　The　expression　of　this　assurance　ipso　facto　cancels　the　form　of　its　particularity。　It
recognizes　thereby　the　necessary　universality　of　the　self。　In　that　it　calls　itself　conscience；　it　calls
itself　pure　self…knowledge　and　pure　abstract　will；　i。e。　it　calls　itself　a　universal　knowledge　and　will
which　acknowledges　and　recognizes　others；　is　like　them　—　for　they　are　just　this　pure
self…knowledge　and　will　—　and　which　is　on　that　account　also　recognized　by　them。　In　the　willing　of
the　self　which　is　certain　of　itself；　in　this　knowledge　of　the　self　as　the　essential　reality；　lies　the
essence　of　the　right。

When　any　one　says；　therefore；　he　is　acting　from　conscience；　he　is　saying　what　is　true；　for　his
conscience　is　the　self　which　knows　and　wills。　But　it　is　essential　he　should　say　so；　for　this　self　has　to
be　at　the　same　time　universal　self。　It　is　not　universal　in　the　content　of　the　act：　for　this　content　is　per
se　indifferent　on　account　of　its　being　specific　and　determinate。　The　universality　lies　in　the　form　of
the　act。　It　is　this　form　which　is　to　be　affirmed　as　real：　the　form　is　the　self；　which　as　such　is　actual　in
language；　pronounces　itself　to　be　the　truth；　and　just　by　so　doing　acknowledges　all　other　selves；　and
is　recognized　by　them。

Conscience；　then；　in　its　majestic　sublimity　above　any　specific　law　and　every　content　of　duty；　puts
whatever　content　it　pleases　into　its　knowledge　and　willing。　It　is　moral　genius　and　originality；　which
knows　the　inner　voice　of　its　immediate　knowledge　to　be　a　voice　divine；　and　since　in　such
knowledge　it　directly　knows　existence　as　well；　it　is　divine　creative　power；　which　contains　living
force　in　its　very　conception。　It　is　in　itself；　too；　divine　worship；　〃service　of　God〃；　for　its　action　is　the
contemplation　of　this　its　own　proper　divinity。

This　solitary　worship；　this　〃service　of　God〃　in　solitude　of　soul；　is　at　the　same　time　essentially
〃service　of　God〃　on　the　art　of　a　religious　community；　and　pure　inward　self…knowledge　and
perception　of　self　pass　to　being　a　moment　of　consciousness。（5）　Contemplation　of　itself　is　its
objective　existence；　and　this　objective　element　is　the　utterance　of　its　knowledge　and　will　as　a
universal。　Through　such　expression　the　self　becomes　established　and　accepted；　and　the　act
becomes　an　effective　deed；　a　deed　carrying　out　a　definite　result。　What　gives　reality　and
subsistence　to　its　deed　is　universal　self…consciousness。　When；　however；　conscience　finds
expression；　this　puts　the　certainty　of　itself　in　the　form　of　pure　self　and　thereby　as　universal　self。
Others　let　the　act　hold　as　valid；　owing　to　the　explicit　terms　in　which　the　self　is　thus　expressed　and
acknowledged　to　be　the　essential　reality。　The　spirit　and　the　substance　of　their　community　are；　thus；
the　mutual　assurance　of　their　conscientiousness；　of　their　good　intentions；　the　rejoicing　over　this
reciprocal　purity　of　purpose；　the　quickening　and　refreshment　received　from　the　glorious　privilege
of　knowing　and　of　expressing；　of　fostering　and　cherishing；　a　state　so　altogether　admirable。

So　far　as　this　sphere　of　conscience　still　distinguishes　its　abstract　consciousness　from　its
self…consciousness；　its　life　is　merely　hid　in　God。　God　is　indeed　immediately　present　to　its　mind　and
heart；　to　its　self。　But　what　is　revealed；　its　actual　consciousness　and　the　mediating　process　of　this
consciousness；　is；　to　it；　something　other　than　that　hidden　inner　life　and　the　immediacy　of　God's
presence。　But；　with　the　completion　of　conscience；　the　distinction　between　its　abstract
consciousness　and　its　self…consciousness　is　done　away。　It　knows　that　the　abstract　consciousness　is
just　this　self；　this　individual　self…existence　which　is　certain　of　itself：　that　the　very　difference　between
the　terms　is　abolished　in　the　immediateness　of　the　relation　of　the　self　to　the　ultimate　Being；　which；
when　placed　outside　the　self；　is　the　abstract　essence；　and　a　Being　concealed　from　it。　For　a　relation
is　mediate　when　the　terms　related　are　not　one　and　the　same；　but　each　is　a　different　term　for　the
other；　and　is　one　only　with　the　other　in　some　third　term：　an　immediate　relation；　however；　means；
in　fact；　nothing　else　than　the　unity　of　the　terms。　Having　risen　above　the　meaningless　position　of
holding　these　distinctions；　which　are　not　distinctions　at　all；　to　be　still　such；　consciousness　knows
the　immediateness　of　the　presence　of　ultimate　Being　within　it　to　be　the　unity　of　that　Being　and　its
self：　it　thus　knows　itself　to　be　the　living　inherent　reality；　and　knows　its　knowledge　to　be　Religion；
which；　qua　knowledge　viewed　as　an　object　or　knowledge　with　an　objective　existence；　is　the
utterance　of　the　religious　communion　regarding　its　own　spirit。

We　see　then；　here；　self…consciousness　withdrawn　into　the　inmost　retreats　of　its　being；　with　all
externality；　as　such；　gone　and　vanished　from　it　—　returned　into　the　intuition　of　ego　as　altogether
identical　with　ego；　an　intuition　where　this　ego　is　all　that　is　essential；　and　all　that　exists。　It　is
swamped　in　this　conception　of　itself；　for　it　has　been　driven　to　the　extreme　limit　of　its　extreme
positions；　and　in　such　a　way　that　the　moments　distinguished；　moments　through　which　it　is　real　or
still　consciousness；　are　not　merely　for　us　these　bare　extremes；　rather　what　it　is　for　itself；　and　what；
to　it；　is　inherent；　and　what　is