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phenomenology of mind-第86部分

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and all continuity with others is excluded from the absolute punctual atomicity of their nature。 They
are; therefore; in a merely negative relation; a relation of exclusion both to one another

and to him; who is their principle of connexion or continuity。 Qua this continuity; he is the essential
being and content of their formal naturea content; however; foreign to them; and a being hostile
in character; which abolishes just what they take; to be their very essence; viz。 bare self…existence
without any content; mere empty independent existence each on its own account。 And; again; qua
the continuity of their personality; he destroys this very personality itself。 Juridical personality thus
finds itself; rather; without any substance of its own; since content alien to it is imposed on it and
holds good within it…and does so there; because such content is the reality of that type of
personality。 On the other hand the passion for destroying and turning over everything on this unreal
field gains for itself the consciousness of its complete supremacy。 But this self is sheer devastation;
and hence is merely beside itself; and is indeed the very abandonment and rejection of its own
self…consciousness。

Such; then; is the constitution of that aspect in which self…consciousness qua absolute being is
actual。 The consciousness; however; that is driven back into itself out of this actuality; thinks this
its insubstantiality; makes it an object of thought。 Formerly we saw the stoical independence of
pure thought pass through Scepticism and find its true issue in the 〃unhappy consciousness〃…the
truth about what constitutes its inherent and explicit nature; its final meaning。 If this knowledge
appeared at that stage merely as the one…sided view of a consciousness qua consciousness; here
the actual truth of that view has made its appearance。 The truth consists in the fact that this
universal accepted objectivity of self…consciousness is reality estranged from it。 This objectivity is
the universal actuality of the self; but this actuality is directly the perversion of the self as well…it is
the loss of its essential being。 The reality of the self that was not found in the ethical world; has
been gained by its reverting into the 〃person〃。 What in the case of the former was all harmony and
union; comes now on the scene; no doubt in developed form; but self…estranged。



                         



1。 Reading 〃selbstbewusstlose〃 (1st ed。)。 

2。 v。 p。 229 ff。 

3。 Cp。 with the above Hobbes' Leviathan。 The historical reference here is to the 〃apotheosis〃 of
the Roman Emperors。 




B
                      The Spirit in Self…Estrangement —
             The Discipline of Culture and Civilisation (2)

The ethical substance preserved and kept opposition enclosed within its simple conscious life; and
this consciousness was in immediate unity with its own essential nature。 That nature has therefore
the simple characteristic of something merely existing for the consciousness which is directed
immediately upon it; and whose 〃custom〃 (Sitte) it is。 Consciousness does not take itself to be
particular excluding self; nor does the substance mean for it an existence shut out from it; with
which it would have to establish its identity only through estranging itself and thus at the same time
have to produce that substance。 But that spirit; whose self is absolutely insular; absolutely discrete;
finds its content over against itself in the form of a reality that is just as impenetrable as itself; and
the world here gets the characteristic of being something external; negative to self…consciousness。
Yet this world is a spiritual reality; it is essentially the fusion of individuality with being。 This its
existence is the work of self…consciousness; but likewise an actuality immediately present and alien
to it; which has a peculiar being of its own; and in which it does not know itself。 This reality is the
external element and the free content(1) of the sphere of legal right。 But this external reality; which
the lord of the world of legal right takes control of; is not merely this elementary external entity
casually lying before the self; it is his work; but not in a positive sense; rather negatively so。 It
acquires its existence by self…consciousness of its own accord relinquishing itself and giving up its
essentiality; the condition which; in that waste and ruin which prevail in the sphere of right; the
external force of the elements let loose seems to bring upon self…consciousness。 These elements by
themselves are sheer ruin and destruction; and cause their own overthrow。 This overthrow;
however; this their negative nature; is just the self; it is their subject; their action; and their process。
Such process and activity again; through which the substance becomes actual; are the
estrangement of personality; for the immediate self; i。e。 the self without estrangement and holding
good as it stands; is without substantial content; and the sport of these raging elements。 Its
substance is thus just its relinquishment; and the relinquishment is the substance; i。e。 the spiritual
powers forming themselves into a coherent world and thereby securing their subsistence。

The substance in this way is spirit; self…conscious unity of the self and the essential nature; but both
also take each other to mean and to imply alienation。 Spirit is consciousness of an objective reality
which exists independently on its own account。 Over against this consciousness stands; however;
that unity of the self with the essential nature; consciousness pure and simple over against actual
consciousness。 On the one side actual self…consciousness by its self…relinquishment passes over
into the real world; and the latter back again into the former。 On the other side; however; this very
actuality; both person and objectivity; is cancelled and superseded; they are purely universal。 This
their alienation is pure consciousness; or the essential nature。 The 〃present〃 has directly its
opposite in its 〃beyond〃; which is its thinking and its being thought; just as this again has its
opposite in what is here in the 〃present〃; which is the actuality of the 〃beyond〃 but alienated from
it。

Spirit in this case; therefore; constructs not merely one world; but a twofold world; divided and
self…opposed。 The world of the ethical spirit is its own proper present; and hence every power it
possesses is found in this unity of the present; and; so far as each separates itself from the other;
each is still in equilibrium with the whole。 Nothing has the significance of a negative of
self…consciousness; even the spirit of the departed is in the life…blood of his relative; is present in
the self of the family; and the universal power of government is the will; the self of the nation。 Here;
however; what is present means merely objective actuality; which has its consciousness in the
beyond; each single moment; as an essential entity; receives this; and thereby actuality; from an
other; and so far as it is actual; its essential being is something other than its own actuality。 Nothing
has a spirit self…established and indwelling within it; rather; each is outside itself in what is alien to
it。 The equilibrium of the whole is not the unity which abides by itself; nor its inwardly secured
tranquillity; but rests on the estrangement of its opposite。 The whole is; therefore; like each single
moment; a self…estranged reality。 It breaks up into two spheres: in one kingdom self…consciousness
is actually both the self and its object; and in another we have the kingdom of pure consciousness;
which; being beyond the former; has no actual present; but exists for Faith; is matter of Belief。
Now just as the ethical world passes from the separation of divine and human law; with its various
forms; and its consciousness gets away from the division into knowledge and the absence of
knowledge; and returns into the principle which is its destiny; into the self which is the power to
destroy and negate this opposition; so; too; both these kingdoms of self…alienated spirit will return
into the self。 But if the former; the first self holding good directly; was the single person; this
second; which returns into itself from its self…relinquishment; will be the universal self; the
consciousness grasping the conception; and these spiritual worlds; all of whose moments insist on
having a fixed reality and an un…spiritual subsistence; will be dissolved in the light of pure Insight。
This insight; being the self grasping itself; completes the stage of culture。 It takes up nothing but the
self; and everything as the self; i。e。 it comprehends everything; extinguishes all objectiveness; and
converts everything implicit into something explicit; everything which has a being in itself into what
is for itself。 When turned against belief; against faith; as the alien realm of inner being lying in the
distant beyond; it is Enlightenment (Aufkl?rung)。 This enlightenment completes spirit's
self…estrangement in this realm too; whither spirit in self…alienation turns to seek its safety as to a
region where it becomes conscious of the peace of self…equipoise。 Enlightenment upsets the
household arrangements; which spirit carries out in the house of faith; by bringing in the goods and
furnishings belonging to the world of the Here and Now; a world which that spirit cannot refuse to
accept as its own property; for its conscious life likewise belongs to that world。 In this negative
task pure insight realizes itself at the same time; and brings to light its own proper object; the
〃unknowable absolute Being〃 and utility。(2) Since in this way actuality has lost all substantiality; and
there is nothing more implicit in it; the kingdom of faith; as also that of the real world; is
overthrown; and this revolution brings about absolute freedom;; the stage at which the spirit
formerly estranged has gone back completely into itself; leaves behind this sphere of culture; and
passes over into another region; the land of the inner or subjective moral consciousness
(moralischen Bewusstsein)。



                    



1。 v。 p。 501 ff。 

2。 Cp。 Eighteenth century Deism and util

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