phenomenology of mind-第123章

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letters；　paper；　or　copyists　with　its　consciousness　of　the　Absolute　Being；　and　does　not　make　use　of
things　of　that　sort　to　affect　its　union　with　the　Absolute。　On　the　contrary；　this　consciousness　is　the
self…mediating；　self…relating　ground　of　its　knowledge；　it　is　spirit　itself　which　bears　witness　of　itself
both　in　the　inner　heart　of　the　individual　consciousness；　as　well　as　through　the　presence　everywhere
and　in　all　men　of　belief　in　it。　If　belief　wants　to　appeal　to　historical　evidences　in　order　to　get　also　that
kind　of　foundation；　or　at　least　confirmation；　for　its　content　which　enlightenment　speaks　of；　and　is
really　serious　in　thinking　and　acting　as　if　that　were　an　important　matter；　then　it　has　eo　ipso　allowed
itself　to　be　corrupted　and　led　astray　by　the　insinuations　of　enlightenment；　the　efforts　it　makes　to
secure　a　basis　or　support　in　this　way　are　merely　indications　that　show　how　it　has　been　affected　and
infected　by　enlightenment。　

There　still　remains　the　third　aspect；　the　active　relation　of　consciousness　to　Absolute　Being；　its
forms　of　service。（6）　This　action　consists　in　cancelling　the　particularity　of　the　individual；　or　the
natural　form　of　its　self…existence；　whence　arises　its　certainty　of　being　pure　self…consciousness；　of
being；　as　the　result　of　its　action；　i。e。　as　a　self…existing　conscious　individual；　one　with　ultimate
Reality。　

Since　in　this　action　purposiveness　and　end　are　distinguished；　and　pure　insight　likewise　takes　up　a
negative　attitude　towards　this　action；　and　denies　itself　just　as　it　did　in　the　other　moments；　it　must　as
regards　purposiveness　present　the　appearance　of　being　stupid　and　unintelligent；　since　insight　united
with　intention；　accordance　of　end　with　means；　appears　to　it　as　an　other；　as　really　the　opposite　of
what　insight　is。　As　regards　the　end；　however；　it　has　to　make　badness；　enjoyment；　and　possession；
its　purpose；　and　prove　itself　in　consequence　to　be　the　impurest　kind　of　intention；　since　pure
intention；　qua　external；　an　other；　is　similarly　impure　intention。　

Accordingly　we　find　that；　so　far　as　concerns　purposiveness；　enlightenment　thinks　it　foolish　if　the
believing　individual　seeks　to　obtain　the　higher　consciousness　of　freedom　from　entanglement　with
natural　enjoyment　and　pleasure；　by　positively　denying　itself　natural　enjoyment　and　pleasure；　and
proving　through　its　acts　that　there　is　no　lie　in　its　open　contempt　for　them；　but　rather　that　the
contempt　is　quite　genuine。　

In　the　same　way　enlightenment　finds　it　foolish　for　consciousness　to　absolve　itself　of　its
characteristic　of　being　absolutely　individual；　excluding　all　others；　and　possessing　property　of　its
own；　by　itself　demitting　its　own　property；　for　thereby　it　shows　in　reality　that　this　isolation　is　not
really　serious。　It　shows　rather　that　itself　is　something　that　can　rise　above　the　natural　necessity　of
isolating　itself　and　of　denying；　in　this　absolute　isolation　of　its　own　individual　existence；　that　e　others
are　one　and　the　same　with　itself。　

Pure　insight　finds　both　purposeless　as　well　as　wrong。　It　is　purposeless　to　renounce　a　pleasure　and
give　away　a　possession　in　order　to　show　oneself　independent　of　pleasure　and　possession；　hence；
in　the　converse　case；　insight　will　be　obliged　to　proclaim　the　man　a　fool；　who；　in　order　to　eat；
employs　the　expedient　of　actually　eating。　Insight　again　thinks　it　wrong　to　deny　oneself　a　meal；　and
give　away　butter　and　eggs　not　for　money；　nor　money　for　butter　and　eggs；　but　just　to　give　them
away　and　get　no　return　at　all；　it　declares　a　meal；　or　the　possession　of　things　of　that　sort；　to　be　an
end　in　itself；　and　hence　in　fact　declares　itself　to　be　a　very　impure　intention　which　ascribes　essential
value　to　enjoyment　and　possessions　of　this　kind。　As　pure　intention　it　further　maintains　the　necessity
of　rising　above　natural　existence；　above　covetousness　as　to　the　means　for　such　existence；　it　only
finds　it　foolish　and　wrong　that　this　supremacy　should　be　demonstrated　by　action。　In　other　words
this　pure　intention　is　in　reality　a　deception；　which　pretends　to　and　demands　an　inner　elevation；　but
declares　that　it　is　superfluous；　foolish；　and　even　wrong　to　be　in　earnest　in　the　matter；　to　put　this
uplifting　into　concrete　expression；　into　actual　shape　and　form；　and　demonstrate　its　truth。　

Pure　insight　thus　denies　itself　both　as　pure　insight　—　for　it　denies　directly　purposive　action；　and　as
pure　intention　—　for　it　denies　the　intention　of　proving　its　independence　of　the　ends　of　individual
existence。　

Thus；　then；　enlightenment　makes　belief　learn　what　it　means。　It　takes　on　this　appearance　of　being
bad；　because　just　by　the　fact　of　relation　to　an　external　other　it　gives　itself　a　negative　reality；　it
presents　itself　as　the　opposite　of　itself。　Pure　insight　and　intention　have　to　adopt　this　relational
attitude；　however；　for　that　is　their　actualization。　

This　realization　appeared；　in　the　first　instance；　as　a　negative　reality。　Perhaps　its　positive　reality　is
better　constituted。　Let　us　see　how　this　stands。　

If　all　prejudice　and　superstition　have　been　banished；　the　question　arises　what　next？　What　is　the
truth　enlightenment　has　diffused　in　their　stead？　It　has　already　given　expression　to　this　positive
content　in　its　process　of　exterminating　error；　for　that　alienation　of　itself　is　equally　its　positive　reality。

In　dealing　with　what　for　belief　is　Absolute　Spirit；　it　interprets　whatever　sort　of　determination　it
discovers　there　as　being　wood；　stone。　etc。；　as　particular　concrete　things　of　sense。　Since　in　this　way
it　conceives　in　general　every　characteristic；　i。e。　every　content　and　filling；　to　be　a　finite　fact；　to　be　a
human　entity　and　a　mental　presentation；　absolute　Being　on　its　view　turns　out　to　be　a　mere　vacuum；
to　which　can　be　attributed　no　characteristics；　no　predicates　at　all。　In　fact　to　marry　such　a　vacuity
with　universal　predicates　would　be　essentially　reprehensible；　and　it　is　just　through　such　a　union　that
the　monstrosities　of　superstition　have　been　produced。　Reason；　pure　insight；　is　doubtless　not　empty
itself；　since　the　negative　of　itself　is　present　consciously　to　it；　and　is　its　content；　it　is；　on　the　contrary；
rich　in　substance；　but　only　in　particularity　and　restrictions。　The　enlightened　function　of　reason；　of
pure　insight；　consists　in　allowing　nothing　of　that　sort　to　appertain　to　Absolute　Being；　nor　attributing
anything　of　that　kind　to　it：　this　function　well　knows　how　to　put　itself　and　the　wealth　of　finitude　in
their　place；　and　deal　with　the　Absolute　in　a　worthy　manner。　

In　contrast　with　this　colourless　empty　Being　there　stands；　as　a　second　aspect　of　the　positive　truth
of　enlightenment；　the　singleness　in　general　of　conscious　life　and　of　all　that　it　is：　—　a　singleness
excluded　from　an　absolute　Being；　and　standing　by　itself　as　something　entirely　self…contained。
Consciousness；　which　in　its　very　earliest　expression　is　sense…certainty　and　mere　〃opining〃；　here
comes　back；　after　the　whole　course　of　its　experience；　to　this　same　point；　and　is　once　again　a
knowledge；　of　what　is　purely　negative　of　itself；　a　knowledge　of　sense　things；　i。e。　of　existent　entities
which　stand　in　indifference　over　against　its　own　self…existence。　But　here　it　is　not　an　immediate
natural　consciousness；　it　has　become　such　for　itself。　While　at　first　the　prey　to　every　sort　of
entanglement；　into　which　it　is　plunged　by　its　gradually　unfolding；　and　now　led　back　to　its　first　form
by　pure　insight；　it　has　arrived　at　this　first　state　as　the　result　and　outcome　of　the　process。　This
sense…certainty；　resting　as　it　does　on　an　insight　into　the　nothingness　of　all　other　forms　of
consciousness；　and　hence　the　nothingness　of　whatever　is　beyond　sense…experience　—　this
sense…certainty　is　no　longer　a　mere　opining〃；　it　is　rather　absolute　truth。　This　nothingness　of
everything　that　transcends　sense　is　doubtless　merely　a　negative　proof　of　this　truth。　But　no　other　is
admissible　or　possible；　for　the　positive　truth　of　sense…experience　in　itself　is　just　the　unmediated
self…existence　of　the　notion　itself　qua　object　and　an　object　in　the　form　of　otherness　—　the　positive
truth　is　that　it　is　absolutely　certain　to　every　consciousness　that　it　is　and　that　there　are　other　real
things　outside　it；　and　that　in　its　natural　existence