phenomenology of mind-第139部分

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term　more　adequate　to　thought　than　〃light〃…and　in　this　way　has　revived　again　in　thought　the
Substance　of　the　Orient；（3）　thereupon　spirit　at　once　recoils　in　horror　from　this　abstract　unity；　from
this　self…less　substantiality；　and　maintains　as　against　it　the　principle　of　Individuality。（4）　But　after
Spirit　has　externalized　this　principle　in　the　process　of　its　culture；　has　thereby　made　it　an　objective
existence　and　established　it　throughout　the　whole　of　existence；　has　arrived　at　the　idea　of　〃Utility〃（5）
and　in　the　sphere　of　absolute　freedom　has　grasped　existence　as　its　Individual　Will；（6）…after　these
stages；　spirit　then　brings　to　light　the　thought　that　lies　in　its　inmost　depths；　and　expresses　essential
Reality　in　the　form　Ego=Ego。（7）

This　〃Ego　identical　with　Ego〃　is；　however；　the　self…reflecting　process；　for　since　this　identity　qua
absolute　negativity　is　absolute　distinction；　the　self…identity　of　the　Ego　stands　in　contrast　to　this
absolute　distinction；　which　—　being　pure　distinction　and　at　the　same　time　objective　to　the　self　that
knows　itself　—　has　to　be　expressed　as　Time。　In　this　way；　just　as　formerly　Essential　Reality　was
expressed　as　unity　of　thought　and　extension；　it　would　here　be　interpreted　as　unity　of　thought　and
time。　But　distinction　left　to　itself；　unresting；　unhalting　time；　really　collapses　upon　itself；　it　is　the
objective　quiescence　of　extension；　while　this　latter　is　pure　identity　with　self　—　is　Ego。

Again；　Ego　is　not　merely　self；　it　is　identity　of　self　with　itself。　This　identity；　however；　is　complete　and
immediate　unity　with　self；　in　other　words　this　Subject　is　just　as　much　Substance。　Substance　by
itself　alone　would　be　void　and　empty　Intuition　（Anschauen）；　or　the　intuition　of　a　content　which
qua　specific　would　have　merely　a　contingent　character　and　would　be　devoid　of　necessity。
Substance　would　only　stand　for　the　Absolute　in　so　far　as　Substance　was　thought　of　or　〃intuited〃　as
absolute　unity；　and　all　content　would；　as　regards　its　diversity；　have　to　fall　outside　the　Substance
and　be　due　to　reflexion；　a　process　which　does　not　belong　to　Substance；　because　Substance　would
not　be　Subject；　would　not　be　conceived　as　Spirit；　as　reflecting　about　self　and　reflecting　itself　into
self。　if；　nevertheless；　a　content　were　to　be　spoken　of；　then　on　the　one　hand　it　would　only　exist　in
order　to　be　thrown　into　the　empty　abyss　of　the　Absolute；　while　on　the　other　it　would　be　picked　up
in　external　fashion　from　sense　perception。　Knowledge　would　appear　to　have　come　by　things；　by
what　is　distinct　from　knowledge　itself；　and　to　have　got　at　the　distinctions　between　the　endless
variety　of　things；　without　any　one　understanding　how　or　where　all　this　came　from。（8）

Spirit；　however；　has　shown　itself　to　us　to　be　neither　the　mere　withdrawal　of　self…consciousness　into
its　pure　inwardness；　nor　the　mere　absorption　of　self…consciousness　into　Substance　and　the
nothingness　of　its　（self…）　distinction。　Spirit　is　the　movement　of　the　self　which　empties　（externalizes）
itself　of　self　and　sinks　itself　within　its　own　substance；　and　qua　subject；　both　has　gone　out　of　that
substance　into　itself；　making　its　substance　an　object　and　a　content；　and　also　supersedes　this
distinction　of　objectivity　and　content。　That　first　reflexion　out　of　immediacy　is　the　subject's　process
of　distinction　of　itself　from　its　substance；　the　notion　in　a　process　of　self…diremption；　the
going…into…itself　and　the　coming　into　being　of　the　pure　ego。　Since　this　distinction　is　the　pure　action
of　Ego=Ego；　the　notion　is　the　necessity　for　and　the　rising　of　existence；　which　has　the　substance　for
its　essential　nature　and　subsists　on　its　own　account。　But　this　subsisting　of　existence　for　itself　is　the
notion　established　in　determinate　form；　and　is　thereby　the　notion's　own　inherent　movement　—　that
of　descending　into　the　simple　substance；　which　is　only　subject　by　being　this　negativity　and　going
through　this　process。

Ego　has　not　to　take　its　stand　on　the　form　of　self…consciousness　in　opposition　to　the　form　of
substantiality　and　objectivity；　as　if　it　were　afraid　of　relinquishing　or　externalizing　itself。　The　power
of　spirit　lies　rather　in　remaining　one　with　itself　when　giving　up　itself；　and；　because　it　is
self…contained　and　self…subsistent；　in　establishing　as　mere　moments　its　explicit　self…existence　as　well
as　its　implicit　inherent　nature。　Nor　again　is　Ego　a　tertium　quid　which　casts　distinctions　back　into
the　abyss　of　the　Absolute；　and　declares　them　all　to　mean　the　same　there。　On　the　contrary；　true
knowledge　lies　rather　in　the　seeming　inactivity　which　merely　watches　how　what　is　distinguished　is
self…moved　by　its　very　nature　and　returns　again　into　its　own　unity。

With　absolute　knowledge；　then；　Spirit　has　wound　up　the　process　of　its　embodiment；　so　far　as　the
assumption　of　those　various　shapes　or　modes　is　affected　with　the　insurmountable　distinction　which
consciousness　implies　＇i。e。　the　distinction　of　consciousness　from　its　object　or　content＇。　Spirit　has
attained　the　pure　element　of　its　existence；　the　notion。　The　content　is；　in　view　of　the　freedom　of　its
own　existence；　the　self　that　empties　（externalizes）　itself；　in　other　words；　that　content　is　the
immediate　unity　of　self…knowledge。　The　pure　process　of　thus　externalizing　itself　constitutes　—
when　we　consider　this　process　in　its　content　—　the　necessity　of　this　content。　The　diversity　of
content　is；　qua　determinate；　due　to　relation；　and　is　not　inherent；　and　its　restless　activity　consists　in
cancelling　and　superseding　itself；　or　is　negativity。　Thus　the　necessity　or　diversity；　like　its　free
existence；　is　the　self　too；　and　in　this　self…form；　in　which　existence　is　immediately　thought；　the
content　is　a　notion。　Seeing；　then；　that　Spirit　has　attained　the　notion；　it　unfolds　its　existence　and
develops　its　processes　in　this　ether　of　its　life　and　is　（Philosophical）　Science。（9）　The　moments　of　its
process　are　set　forth　therein　no　longer　as　determinate　modes　or　shapes　of　consciousness；　but　—
since　the　distinction；　which　consciousness　implies；　has　reverted　to　and　has　become　a　distinction
within　the　self　—　as　determinate　notions；　and　as　the　organic　self…explaining　and　self…constituted
process　of　these　notions。　While　in　the　Phenomenology　of　Mind　each　moment　is　the　distinction　of
knowledge　and　truth；　and　is　the　process　in　which　that　distinction　is　canceled　and　transcended；
Absolute　Knowledge　does　not　contain　this　distinction　and　supersession　of　distinction。　Rather；
since　each　moment　has　the　form　of　the　notion；　it　unites　the　objective　form　of　truth　and　the　knowing
self　in　an　immediate　unity。　Each　individual　moment　does　not　appear　as　the　process　of　passing　back
and　forward　from　consciousness　or　figurative　（imaginative）　thought　to　self…consciousness　and
conversely：　on　the　contrary；　the　pure　shape；　liberated　from　the　condition　of　being　an　appearance　in
mere　consciousness；　—　the　pure　notion　with　its　further　development；　—　depends　solely　on　its　pure
characteristic　nature。　Conversely；　again；　there　corresponds　to　every　abstract　moment　of　Absolute
Knowledge　a　mode　in　which　mind　as　a　whole　makes　its　appearance。　As　the　mind　that　actually
exists　is　not　richer　than　it；（10）　so；　too；　mind　in　its　actual　content　is　not　poorer。　To　know　the　pure
notions　of　knowledge　in　the　form　in　which　they　are　modes　or　shapes　of　consciousness　—　this
constitutes　the　aspect　of　their　reality；　according　to　which　their　essential　element；　the　notion；
appearing　there　in　its　simple　mediating　activity　as　thinking；　breaks　up　and　separates　the　moments
of　this　mediation　and　exhibits　them　to　itself　in　accordance　with　their　immanent　opposition。

Absolute　Knowledge　contains　within　itself　this　necessity　of　relinquishing　itself　from　notion；　and
necessarily　involves　the　transition　of　the　notion　into　consciousness。　For　Spirit　that　knows　itself　is；
just　for　the　reason　that　it　grasps　its　own　notion；　immediate　identity　with　itself；　and　this；　in　the
distinction　that　it　implies；　is　the　certainty　of　what　is　immediate　or　is　sense…consciousness　—　the
beginning　from　which　we　started。　This　process　of　releasing　itself　from　the　form　of　its　self　is　the
highest　freedom　and　security　of　its　knowledge　of　itself。

All　the　same；　this　relinquishment　（externalization）　of　self　is　still　incomplete。　This　process　expresses
the　relation　of　the　certainty　of　its　self　to　the　object；　an　object　which；　just　by　being　in　a　relation；　has
not　yet　attained　its　full　freedom。　Knowledge　is　aware　not　only　of　itself；　but　also　of　the　negative　of
itself；　or　its　limit。　Knowing　its　limit　means　knowing　how　to　sacrifice　itself。　This　sacrifice　is　the
self…abandonment；　in　which　Spirit　sets　forth；　in　the　form　of　free　fortuitous　happening；　its　process　of
becoming　Spirit；　intuitively　apprehending　outside　it　its　pure　self　as　Time；　and　likewise　its　existence
as　Space。（11）　This　last　form　into　which　Spirit　passes；　Nature；　is　its　living　immediate　process　of
development。　Nature…Spirit　divested　of　self　（externalized）　—　is；　in　its　actual　existence；　nothing　but
this　eternal　process　of　abandoning　its　（Nature's）　own　independent　subsistence；　and　the　movement
which　reinstates　Subject。

The　other　aspect；　however；　in　which　Spirit　comes　into　being；　History；　is　the　process　of　becoming
in　terms　of　knowledge；　a　conscious　self…mediating　process　—　Spirit　externalized　and　emptied　into
Time。　But　this　form　of　abandonment　is；　similarly；　the　emptying　of　itself　by　itself；　the　negative　is
negative　of　itself。　This　way　of　becoming　presents　a　slow　procession　and　succession　of　spiritual
shapes　（Geistern）；　a　gallery　of　pictures；　each　of　which　is　endowed　with　the　entire　wealth　of　Spirit；
and　moves　so　slowly　just　for　the　reason　that　the　self　has　to　permeate　and　assimilate　all　this　wealth
of　its　substance。　Since　its　accomplishment　consists　in　Spirit　knowing　what　it　is；　in　fully
comprehending　its　substance；　this　knowledge　means　its　concentrating　itself　on　itself　（Insichgehen）；
a　state　in　which　Spirit　leaves　its　external　existence　behind　and　gives　its　embodiment　over　to
Recollection　（Erinnerung）。　In　thus　concentrating　itself　on　itself；　Spirit　is　engulfed　in　the　night　of　its
own　self…consciousness；　its　vanished　existence　is；　however；　conserved　therein；　and　this
superseded　existence　—　the　previous　state；　but　born　anew　from