phenomenology of mind-第16部分

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trick　of　wisdom　of　that　sort　is　as　quickly　acquired　as　it　is　easy　to　practise。　Its　repetition；　when
once　it　is　familiar；　becomes　as　boring　as　the　repetition　of　any　bit　of　sleight…of…hand　once　we　see
through　it。　The　instrument　for　producing　this　monotonous　formalism　is　no　more　difficult　to　handle
than　the　palette　of　a　painter；　on　which　lie　only　two　colours；　say　red　and　green；　the　former　for
colouring　the　surface　when　we　want　a　historical　piece；　the　latter　when　we　want　a　bit　of　landscape。
It　would　be　difficult　to　settle　which　is　greater　in　all　this；　the　agreeable　ease　with　which　everything　in
heaven　and　earth　and　under　the　earth　is　plastered　with　that　botch　of　colour；　or　the　conceit　that
prides　itself　on　the　excellence　of　its　means　for　every　conceivable　purpose；　the　one　lends　support　to
the　other。　What　results　from　the　use　of　this　method　of　sticking　on　to　everything　in　heaven　and
earth；　to　every　kind　of　shape　and　form；　natural　and　spiritual；　the　pair　of　determinations　from　the
general　schema；　and　filing　everything　in　this　manner；　is　no　less　than　an　〃account　as　clear　as
noonday〃　of　the　organized　whole　of　the　universe。　It　is；　that　is　to　say；　a　synoptic　index；　like　a
skeleton　with　tickets　stuck　all　over　it；　or　like　the　rows　of　boxes　kept　shut　and　labelled　in　a　grocer's
stall；　and　is　as　intelligible　as　either　the　one　or　the　other。　It　has　lost　hold　of　the　living　nature　of
concrete　fact；　just　as　in　the　former　case　we　have　merely　dry　bones　with　flesh　and　blood　all　gone；
and　in　the　latter；　there　is　shut　away　in　those　boxes　something　equally　lifeless　too。　We　have　already
remarked　that　the　final　outcome　of　this　style　of　thinking　is；　at　the　same　time；　to　paint　entirely　in　one
kind　of　colour；　for　it　turns　with　contempt　from　the　distinctions　in　the　schematic　table；　looks　on
them　as　belonging　to　the　activity　of　mere　reflection；　and　lets　them　drop　out　of　sight　in　the　void　of
the　Absolute；　and　there　reinstates　pure　identity；　pure　formless　whiteness。　Such　uniformity　of
colouring　in　the　schema　with　its　lifeless　determinations；　this　absolute　identity；　and　the　transition
from　one　to　the　other　—　these　are　the　one　as　well　as　the　other；　the　expression　of　inert　lifeless
understanding；　and　equally　an　external　process　of　knowledge。　

Not　only　can　what　is　excellent　not　escape　the　fate　of　being　thus　devitalized　and　despiritualized　and
excoriated　of　seeing　its　skin　paraded　about　by　lifeless　knowledge　and　the　conceit　such　knowledge
engenders；　but　rather；　such　a　fate　lets　us　realize　the　power　the　〃excellent〃　exercises　over　the　heart
（Gemüth）；　if　not　over　the　mind　（Geist）。　Moreover；　we　recognize　thereby；　too；　the　constructive
unfolding　into　universality　and　determinateness　of　form　which　marks　the　complete　attainment　of
excellence；　and　which　alone　makes　it　possible　that　this　universality　can　be　turned　to　superficial
uses。

Science　can　become　an　organic　system　only　by　the　inherent　life　of　the　notion。　In　science　the
determinateness；　which　was　taken　from　the　schema　and　stuck　on　to　existing　facts　in　external
fashion；　is　the　self　directing　inner　soul　of　the　concrete　content。　The　movement　of　what　is　partly
consists　in　becoming　another　to　itself；　and　thus　developing　explicitly　into　its　own　immanent　content；
partly；　again；　it　takes　this　evolved　content；　this　existence　it　assumes；　back　into　itself；　i。e。　makes
itself　into　a　moment；　and　reduces　itself　to　simple　determinateness。　In　the　first　stage　of　the　process
negativity　lies　in　the　function　of　distinguishing　and　establishing　existence；　in　this　latter　return　into　self；
negativity　consists　in　the　bringing　about　of　determinate　simplicity。　It　is　in　this　way　that　the　content
shows　its　specific　characteristic　not　to　be　received　from　something　else；　and　stuck　on　externally；
the　content　gives　itself　this　determinate　characteristic；　appoints　itself　of　its　own　initiative　to　the　rank
of　a　moment　and　to　a　place　in　the　whole。　The　pigeon…holing　process　of　understanding　retains　for
itself　the　necessity　and　the　notion　controlling　the　content；　that　which　constitutes　the　concrete
element；　the　actuality　and　living　process　of　the　subject…matter　which　it　labels：　or　rather；
understanding　does　not　retain　this　for　itself；　on　the　contrary；　understanding　fails　to　know　it。　For　if　it
had　as　much　insight　as　that；　it　would　surely　show　that　it　had。　It　is　not　even　aware　of　the　need　for
such　insight；　if　it　were；　it　would　drop　its　schematizing　process；　or　at　least　would　no　longer　be
satisfied　to　know　by　way　of　a　mere　table　of　contents。　A　table　of　contents　is　all　that　understanding
gives；　the　content　itself　it　does　not　furnish　at　all。　

If　the　specific　determination　（say　even　one　like　magnetism）　is　one　that　in　itself　is　concrete　or　actual；
it　all　the　same　gets　degraded　into　something　lifeless　and　inert；　since　it　is　merely　predicated　of
another　existing　entity；　and　not　known　as　an　immanent　living　principle　of　this　existence；　nor　is　there
any　comprehension　of　how　in　this　entity　its　intrinsic　and　peculiar　way　of　expressing　and　producing
itself　takes　effect。　This；　the　very　kernel　of　the　matter；　formal　understanding　leaves　to　others　to　add
later　on。　Instead　of　making　its　way　into　the　inherent　content　of　the　matter　in　hand；　understanding
always　takes　a　survey　of　the　whole；　assumes　a　position　above　the　particular　existence　about　which
it　is　speaking；　i。e。　it　does　not　see　it　at　all。

True　scientific　knowledge；　on　the　contrary；　demands　abandonment　to　the　very　life　of　the　object；
or；　which　means　the　same　thing；　claims　to　have　before　it　the　inner　necessity　controlling　the　object；
and　to　express　this　only。　Steeping　itself　in　its　object；　it　forgets　to　take　that　general　survey；　which　is
merely　a　turning　of　knowledge　away　from　the　content　back　into　itself。　But　being　sunk　into　the
material　in　hand；　and　following　the　course　that　such　material　takes；　true　knowledge　returns　back
into　itself；　yet　not　before　the　content　in　its　fullness　is　taken　into　itself；　is　reduced　to　the　simplicity　of
being　a　determinate　characteristic；　drops　to　the　level　of　being　one　aspect　of　an　existing　entity；　and
passes　over　into　its　higher　truth。　By　this　process　the　whole　as　such；　surveying　its　entire　content；
itself　emerges　out　of　the　wealth　wherein　its　process　of　reflection　seemed　to　be　lost。　

In　general；　in　virtue　of　the　principle　that；　as　we　expressed　it　before；　substance　is　implicitly　and　in
itself　subject；　all　content　makes　its　reflection　into　itself　in　its　own　special　way。　The　subsistence　or
substance　of　anything　that　exists　is　its　self…identity；　for　its　want　of　identity；　or　oneness　with　itself；
would　be　its　dissolution。　But　self…identity　is　pure　abstraction；　and　this　is　just　thinking。　When　I　say
Quality；　I　state　simple　determinateness；　by　means　of　its　quality　one　existence　is　distinguished　from
another　or　is　an　〃existence〃；　it　is　for　itself；　something　on　its　own　account；　or　subsists　with　itself
because　of　this　simple　characteristic。　But　by　doing　so　it　is　essentially　Thought。

Here　we　find　contained　the　principle　that　Being　is　Thought：　here　is　exercised　that　insight　which
usually　tends　to　deviate　from　the　ordinary　non…conceptual　way　of　speaking　of　the　identity　of
thought　and　being。　In　virtue；　further；　of　the　fact　that　subsistence　on　the　part　of　what　exists　is
self…identity　or　pure　abstraction；　it　is　the　abstraction　of　itself　from　itself；　in　other　words；　is　itself　its
own　want　of　identity　with　itself　and　dissolution　—　its　own　proper　inwardness　and　retraction　into
self　—　its　process　of　becoming。

Owing；　to　the　nature　which　being　thus　has；　and　so　far　as　what　is　has　this　nature　from　the　point　of
view　of　knowledge；　this　thinking　is　not　an　activity　which　treats　the　content　as　something　alien　and
external；　it　is　not　reflection　into　self　away　from　the　content。　Science　is　not　that　kind　of　Idealism
which　stepped　into　the　place　of　the　Dogmatism　of　mere　assertion　and　took　the　shape　of　a
Dogmatism　of　mere　assurance；　the　Dogmatism　of　mere　self…certainty。　Rather；　since　knowledge
sees　the　content　go　back　into　its　own　proper　inner　nature；　the　activity　of　knowledge　is　absorbed　in
that　content　—　for　it　（the　activity）　is　the　immanent　self　of　the　content　—　and　is　also　at　the　same　time
returned　into　itself；　for　this　activity　is　pure　self…identity　in　otherness。　In　this　way　the　knowing　activity
is　the　artful　device　which；　while　seeming　to　refrain　from　activity；　looks　on　and　watches　how
specific　determinateness　with　its　concrete　life；　just　where　it　believes　it　is　working　out　its　own
self…preservation　and　its　own　private　interest；　is；　in　point　of　fact；　doing　the　very　opposite；　is　doing
what　brings　about　its　own　dissolution　and　makes　itself　a　moment　in　the　whole。

While；　in　the　foregoing；　the　significance　of　Understanding　was　stated　from　the　point　of　view　of　the
self…consciousness　of　substance；　by　what　has　been　here　stated　we　can　see　clearly　its　significance
from　the　point　of　view　of　substance　qua　being。　Existence　is　Quality；　self…identical　determinateness；
or　determinate　simplicity；　determinate　thought：　this　is　existence　from　the　point　of　view　of
Understanding。　On　this　account　it　is