phenomenology of mind-第13章

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nature；　which　is　to　be　actual；　subject；　or　self…becoming；　self…development。　Should　it　appear
contradictory　to　say　that　the　Absolute　has　to　be　conceived　essentially　as　a　result；　a　little
consideration　will　set　this　appearance　of　contradiction　in　its　true　light。　The　beginning；　the　principle；
or　the　Absolute；　as　at　first　or　immediately　expressed；　is　merely　the　universal。　If　we　say　〃all
animals〃；　that　does　not　pass　for　zoology；　for　the　same　reason　we　see　at　once　that　the　words
absolute；　divine；　eternal；　and　so　on　do　not　express　what　is　implied　in　them；　and　only　mere　words
like　these；　in　point　of　fact；　express　intuition　as　the　immediate。　Whatever　is　more　than　a　word　like
that；　even　the　mere　transition　to　a　proposition；　is　a　form　of　mediation；　contains　a　process　towards
another　state　from　which　we　must　return　once　more。　It　is　this　process　of　mediation；　however；　that
is　rejected　with　horror；　as　if　absolute　knowledge　were　being　surrendered　when　more　is　made　of
mediation　than　merely　the　assertion　that　it　is　nothing　absolute；　and　does　not　exist　in　the　Absolute。

This　horrified　rejection　of　mediation；　however；　arises　as　a　fact　from　want　of　acquaintance　with　its
nature；　and　with　the　nature　of　absolute　knowledge　itself。　For　mediating　is　nothing　but　self…identity
working　itself　out　through　an　active　self…directed　process；　or；　in　other　words；　it　is　reflection　into
self；　the　aspect　in　which　the　ego　is　for　itself；　objective　to　itself。　It　is　pure　negativity；　or；　reduced　to
its　utmost　abstraction；　the　process　of　bare　and　simple　becoming。　The　ego；　or　becoming　in　general；
this　process　of　mediating；　is；　because　of　its　being　simple；　just　immediacy　coming　to　be；　and　is
immediacy　itself。　We　misconceive　therefore　the　nature　of　reason　if　we　exclude　reflection　or
mediation　from　ultimate　truth。；　and　do　not　take　it　to　be　a　positive　moment　of　the　Absolute。　It　is
reflection　which　constitutes　truth　the　final　result；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　does　away　with　the
contrast　between　result　and　the　process　of　arriving　at　it。　For　this　process　is　likewise　simple；　and
therefore　not　distinct　from　the　form　of　truth；　which　consists　in　appearing　as　simple　in　the　result；　it　is
indeed　just　this　restoration　and　return　to　simplicity。　While　the　embryo　is　certainly；　in　itself；　implicitly
a　human　being；　it　is　not　so　explicitly；　it　is　not　by　itself　a　human　being　（für　sich）；　man　is　explicitly
man　only　in　the　form　of　developed　and　cultivated　reason；　which　has　made　itself　to　be　what　it　is
implicitly。　Its　actual　reality　is　first　found　here。　But　this　result　arrived　at　is　itself　simple　immediacy；　for
it　is　self　conscious　freedom；　which　is　at　one　with　itself；　and　has　not　set　aside　the　opposition　it
involves　and　left　it　there；　but　has　made　its　account　with　it　and　become　reconciled　to　it。　

What　has　been　said　may　also　be　expressed　by　saying　that　reason　is　purposive　activity。　The
exaltation　of　so…called　nature　at　the　expense　of　thought　misconceived；　and　more　especially　the
rejection　of　external　purposiveness；　have　brought　the　idea　of　purpose　in　general　into　disrepute。　All
the　same；　in　the　sense　in　which　Aristotle；　too；　characterizes　nature　as　purposive　activity；　purpose　is
the　immediate；　the　undisturbed；　the　unmoved　which　is　self…moving；　as　such　it　is　subject。　Its　power
of　moving；　taken　abstractly；　is　its　existence　for　itself；　or　pure　negativity。　The　result　is　the　same　as
the　beginning　solely　because　the　beginning　is　purpose。　Stated　otherwise；　what　is　actual　and
concrete　is　the　same　as　its　inner　principle　or　notion　simply　because　the　immediate　qua　purpose
contains　within　it　the　self　or　pure　actuality。　The　realized　purpose；　or　concrete　actuality；　is
movement　and　development　unfolded。　But　this　very　unrest　is　the　self；　and　it　is　one　and　the　same
with　that　immediacy　and　simplicity　characteristic　of　the　beginning　just　for　the　reason　that　it　is　the
result；　and　has　returned　upon　itself…while　this　latter　again　is　just　the　self；　and　the　self　is　self…referring
and　self…relating　identity　and　simplicity。

The　need　to　think　of　the　Absolute　as　subject；　has　led　men　to　make　use　of　statements　like　〃God　is
the　eternal〃；　the　〃moral　order　of　the　world〃；　or　〃love〃；　etc。　In　such　propositions　the　truth　is　just
barely　stated　to　be　Subject；　but　not　set　forth　as　the　process　of　reflectively　mediating　itself　with
itself。　In　a　proposition　of　that　kind　we　begin　with　the　word　God。　By　itself　this　is　a　meaningless
sound；　a　mere　name；　the　predicate　says　afterwards　what　it　is；　gives　it　content　and　meaning：　the
empty　beginning　becomes　real　knowledge　only　when　we　thus　get　to　the　end　of　the　statement。　So
far　as　that　goes；　why　not　speak　alone　of　the　eternal；　of　the　moral　order　of　the　world；　etc。；　or；　like
the　ancients；　of　pure　conceptions　such　as　being；　the　one；　etc。；　i。e。　of　what　gives　the　meaning
without　adding　the　meaningless　sound　at　all？　But　this　word　just　indicates　that　it　is　not　a　being　or
essence　or　universal　in　general　that　is　put　forward；　but　something　reflected　into　self；　a　subject。　Yet
at　the　same　time　this　acceptance　of　the　Absolute　as　Subject　is　merely　anticipated；　not　really
affirmed。　The　subject　is　taken　to　be　a　fixed　point；　and　to　it　as　their　support　the　predicates　are
attached；　by　a　process　falling　within　the　individual　knowing　about　it；　but　not　looked　upon　as
belonging　to　the　point　of　attachment　itself；　only　by　such　a　process；　however；　could　the　content　be
presented　as　subject。　Constituted　as　it　is；　this　process　cannot　belong　to　the　subject；　but　when　that
point　of　support　is　fixed　to　start　with；　this　process　cannot　be　otherwise　constituted；　it　can　only　be
external。　The　anticipation　that　the　Absolute　is　subject　is　therefore　not　merely　not　the　realization　of
this　conception；　it　even　makes　realization　impossible。　For　it　makes　out　the　notion　to　be　a　static
point；　while　its　actual　reality　is　self…movement；　self…activity。　

Among　the　many　consequences　that　follow　from　what　has　been　said；　it　is　of　importance　to
emphasize　this；　that　knowledge　is　only　real　and　can　only　be　set　forth　fully　in　the　form　of　science；　in
the　form　of　system；　and　further；　that　a　so…called　fundamental　proposition　or　first　principle　of
philosophy；　even　if　it　is　true；　is　yet　none　the　less　false　just　because　and　in　so　far　as　it　is　merely　a
fundamental　proposition；　merely　a　first　principle。　　　It　is　for　that　reason　easily　refuted。　　The
refutation　consists　in　bring　out　its　defective　character；　and　it　is　defective　because　it　is　merely　the
universal；　merely　a　principle；　the　beginning。　　If　the　refutation　is　complete　and　thorough；　it　is　derived
and　developed　from　the　nature　of　the　principle　itself；　and　not　accomplished　by　bringing　in　from
elsewhere　other　counter　assurances　and　chance　fancies。　　It　would　be　strictly　the　development　of
the　principle。　and　thus　the　completion　of　its　deficiency；　were　it　not　that　it　misunderstands　its　own
purport　by　taking　account　solely　of　the　negative　aspect　of　what　it　seeks　to　do；　and　is　not　conscious
of　the　positive　character　of　its　process　and　result。　　The　really　positive　working　out　of　the　beginning
is　at　the　same　time　just　as　much　the　very　reverse；　it　is　a　negative　attitude　towards　the　principle　we
start　from；　negative；　that　is　to　say；　of　its　one…sided　form；　which　consists　in　being　primarily
immediate；　a　mere　purpose。　　It　may　therefore　be　regarded　as　a　refutation　of　what　constitutes　the
basis　of　the　system；　but　more　correctly　it　should　be　looked　at　as　a　demonstration　that　the　basis　or
principle　of　the　system　is　in　point　of　fact　merely　its　beginning。

That　the　truth　is　only　realized　in　the　form　of　system；　that　substance　is　essentially　subject；　is
expressed　in　the　idea　which　represents　the　Absolute　as　Spirit　（Geist）　—　the　grandest　conception
of　all；　and　one　which　is　due　　to　modern　times　and　its　religion。　Spirit　is　alone　Reality。　It　is　the　inner
being　of　the　world；　that　which　essentially　is；　and　is　per　se；　it　assumes　objective；　determinate　form；
and　enters　into　relations　with　itself…it　is　externality　（otherness）；　and　exists　for　self；　yet；　in　this
determination；　and　in　its　otherness；　it　is　still　one　with　itself…it　is　self…contained　and　self…complete；　in
itself　and　for　itself　at　once。　This　self…containedness；　however；　is　first　something　known　by　u