history of philosophy-第87章

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We　must　now　consider　what　form　existence　takes　for　this　absolutely　comprehending　self…
consciousness。　In　the　first　place　this　Notion　is　fixed　as　the　negative　movement　of　the　Notion　only；
the　positive　and　simple；　or　existence；　falls　outside　of　this　movement。　There　remains　to　the　Notion
no　distinction；　no　content；　for　all　determinate　content　is　lost　in　that　negativity。　This　empty　existence
is　for　us　pure　thought　generally；　what　the　French　call　être　suprême；　or　if　represented　objectively
as　existent；　and　as　in　opposition　to　consciousness；　it　is　matter。　Absolute　Being　is　therefore
determined　as　matter；　as　empty　objectivity；　through　a　Notion　which　destroys　all　content　and
determination；　and　has　as　its　object　this　universal　alone。　It　is　a　Notion　which　acts　only
destructively；　and　does　not　again　construct　itself　out　of　this　matter　or　pure　thought　or　pure
substantiality。　We　here　see　so…called　materialism　and　atheism　freely　emerge；　as　the　necessary
result　of　the　pure　comprehending　self…consciousness。　From　one　point　of　view　there　perishes　in　this
negative　movement　all　determination　which　represents　spirit　as　something　beyond
self…consciousness；　and　more　especially　all　determinations　within　the　spirit；　and　also　those　which
express　it　as　spirit；　indeed　all　the　conceptions　formed　of　it　by　faith；　for　which　it　has　validity　as　an
existent　self…consciousness　beyond　self…consciousness　—　in　short；　all　that　is　traditional　or　imposed
by　authority。　There　remains　only　a　present；　actual　Being；　for　self…consciousness　recognizes　implicit
existence　only　in　the　form　which　it　has　for　self…consciousness；　and　in　which　it　is　actually　known　to
itself；　in　matter；　and　matter　as　actively　extending　and　realizing　itself　in　multiplicity；　i。e。；　as　nature。　In
the　present　I　am　conscious　to　myself　of　my　reality；　and　consequently　self…consciousness　finds　itself
as　matter；　finds　the　soul　to　be　material；　and　conceptions　to　be　movements　and　changes　in　the　inner
organ　of　the　brain；　which　result　from　external　impressions　on　the　senses。　Thought　is　therefore　a
mode　of　the　existence　of　matter。　The　One　Substance　of　Spinoza；　to　which　French　materialism　as
naturalism　is　parallel；　really　finds　its　accomplishment　here　in　this　object　as　in　all　respects　the
ultimate；　but　while　in　Spinoza　this　category　is　a　possession　which　we　find　ready　to　hand；　here　it
appears　as　the　result　of　the　abstraction　of　the　understanding　proceeding　from　empiricism。

The　other　form　of　the　Aufkl？rung　is；　on　the　contrary；　when　absolute　Being　is　set　forth　as
something　beyond　self…consciousness；　so　that　of　itself；　of　its　implicit　Being；　nothing　whatever　can
be　known。　It　bears　the　empty　name　of　God。　For　though　God　may　be　determined　in　any　way
whatever；　all　these　determinations　fall　away；　He　is；　like　x；　the　altogether　unknown　quantity。　This
view　is　not　therefore　to　be　termed　atheism；　in　the　first　place　because　it　still　employs　the　empty；
meaningless　name；　and　in　the　second　place　because　it　expresses　the　necessary　relations　of
self…consciousness；　duties；　&c。；　not　as　necessary　in　an　absolute　sense；　but　as　necessary　through
relation　to　another；　namely　to　the　unknown　—　although　there　can　be　no　positive　relation　to　an
unknown　except　by　abrogating　the　self　as　particular。　Yet　it　is　not　matter；　because　this　simple　and
empty　something　is　negatively　defined　as　non…existent　for　self…consciousness。　This　all　comes　to　the
same　thing；　however；　for　matter　is　the　universal；　and　is　Being…for…self　represented　as　abrogated。
But　the　true　reflection　on　that　unknown　is　this；　that　it　exists　for　self…consciousness　simply　as　a
negative　of　the　same；　i。e。；　as　matter；　reality；　the　present；　it　is　this　negative　for　me；　this　is　its　Notion。
The　difference　distinguishing　this　from　what　appears　to　be　in　its　entirety　something　“other；”　and　in
which　any　one　side　is　not　permitted　to　say　that　what　it　thinks　is　such　is　that　particular　thing；　is　the
difference　which　rests　on　this　last　abstraction。

Since　then　the　Notion　is　present　only　in　its　negative　form；　positive　extension　remains　without　a
Notion；　it　has　the　form　of　nature；　of　an　existent；　both　in　the　physical　and　in　the　moral　sphere。　The
knowledge　of　nature　remains　the　ordinary；　scientifically　unspeculative　knowledge；　and　as　to　its
essence；　in　so　far　as　it　claims　to　be　philosophy；　it　is　a　general　way　of　speaking　that　plays　with　the
words；　“forces；　relations；　manifold　connections；”　but　arrives　at　nothing　definite。　Similarly；　in　the
spiritual　sphere；　it　is　so　far　true　that　the　metaphysic　of　the　spirit　is　of　such　a　nature　that　it　is　nothing
more　nor　less　than　a　particular　organization　by　means　of　which　the　powers　which　are　termed
sensation；　perception；　&c。；　come　into　existence；　but　this　is　a　wearisome　way　of　talking；　which　can
make　nothing　intelligible；　which　accepts　appearances　and　perceptions　and　reasons　about　them；　but
none　the　less　reduces　their　implicit　existence　to　certain　determinate　forces；　of　the　inward　nature　of
which　we　know　nothing　further。　The　determination　and　knowledge　of　the　moral　sphere　has
similarly　for　its　object　to　bring　man　back　to　his　so…called　natural　promptings；　its　essence　has　the
form　of　a　natural　impulse；　and　this　natural　impulse　is　termed　self…love；　selfishness；　or　benevolence。
It　is　required　that　man　should　live　in　conformity　with　nature；　but　this　nature　does　not　reach　further
than　general　expressions　and　descriptions；　such　as　the　state　of　nature　we　find　depicted　by
Rousseau。　What　is　called　the　metaphysic　of　ordinary　conceptions　is　the　empiricism　of　Locke；
which　seeks　to　show　their　origin；　to　be　in　consciousness；　in　as　far　as　it　is　individual　consciousness；
which；　when　born　into　the　world；　emerges　out　of　unconsciousness　in　order　to　acquire　knowledge
as　sensuous　consciousness。　This　external　origin　they　confound　with　the　Becoming　and　Notion　of
the　matter　in　point。　If　one　were　to　ask　vaguely　what　is　the　origin　and　genesis　of　water；　and　the
answer　were　to　be　given　that　it　comes　from　the　mountains　or　from　rain；　this　would　be　a　reply　in　the
spirit　of　the　above　philosophy。　In　short；　it　is　only　the　negative　aspect　that　is　interesting；　and　as　for
this　positive　French　philosophy；　it　is　out　of　the　question。　But　even　the　negative　side　of　it　belongs
properly　to　culture　mainly；　with　which　we　have　here　nothing　to　do；　and　the　Aufkl？rung　likewise
belongs　to　the　same。　In　the　French　philosophic　writings；　which　in　this　respect　are　of　importance；
what　is　worthy　of　admiration　is　the　astonishing　energy　and　force　of　the　Notion　as　directed　against
existence；　against　faith；　against　all　the　power　of　authority　that　had　held　sway　for　thousands　of
years。　On　the　one　hand　we　cannot　help　remarking　the　feeling　of　utter　rebellion　against　the　whole
state　of　affairs　at　present　prevailing；　a　state　which　is　alien　to　self…consciousness；　which　would　fain
dispense　with　it；　and　in　which　self…consciousness　does　not　find　itself；　there　is　a　certainty　of　the　truth
of　reason；　which　challenges　the　whole　intellectual　world　as　it　stands　aloof；　and　is　confident　of
destroying　it。　French　atheism；　materialism；　or　naturalism　has　overcome　all　prejudices；　and　has　been
victorious　over　the　senseless　hypotheses　and　assumptions　of　the　positive　element　in　religion；　which
is　associated　with　habits；　manners；　opinions；　determinations　as　to　law　and　morality　and　civil
institutions。　With　the　healthy　human　understanding　and　earnestness　of　spirit；　and　not　with　frivolous
declamations；　it　has　rebelled　against　the　condition　of　the　world　as　legally　established；　against　the
constitution　of　the　state；　the　administration　of　justice；　the　mode　of　government；　political　authority；
and　likewise　against　art。

Contrasting　with　this　barren　content　there　is　the　other　and　fertile　side。　The　positive　is　in　its　turn
constituted　by　so…called　immediately　enlightening　truths　of　the　healthy　human　understanding；　which
contains　nothing　except　this　truth　and　the　claim　to　find　itself；　and　beyond　this　form　does　not　pass。
But　in　so　doing　there　arises　the　endeavour　to　grasp　the　absolute　as　something　present；　and　at　the
same　time　as　an　object　of　thought　and　as　absolute　unity：　an　endeavour　which；　as　it　implies　denial　of
the　conception　of　design　both　in　the　natural　and　in　the　spiritual　sphe