贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > phenomenology of mind >

第133章

phenomenology of mind-第133章

小说: phenomenology of mind 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



to
it; the absolute unity of sensibility with it; to be the essential fact。 Both of these; pure thought and
sensibility; are essentially and inherently one consciousness; and pure thought is just that for which
and in which this pure unity exists; but for it qua consciousness the opposition between itself and
its impulses holds。 In this conflict between reason and sensibility; the essential thing for reason is
that the conflict should be resolved; and that the unity of both should come out as a result: not the
original unity which consisted in both the opposites being in one individual; but a unity which arises
out of the known opposition of the two。 So attained; such a unity is then actual morality; for in it is
contained the opposition through which the self is a consciousness; or first becomes concrete and
in actual fact self; and at the same time universal。 In other words; we find there expressed that
process of mediation which; as we see; is essential to morality。

Since; of the two factors in opposition; sensibility is otherness out and out; is the negative; while;
on the other hand; pure thought of duty is the ultimate essence which cannot possibly be
surrendered in any respect; it seems as if the unity produced can be brought about only by doing
away with sensibility。 But since sensibility is itself a moment of this process of producing the unity;
is the moment of actuality; we have; in the first instance; to be content to express the unity in this
form — sensibility should be in conformity with morality。

This unity is likewise a postulated existence; it is not there as a fact; for what is there is
consciousness; or the opposition of sensibility and pure consciousness。 All the same; the unity is
not a something per se like the first postulate; in which free external nature constitutes an aspect
and the harmony of nature with moral consciousness in consequence falls outside the latter。
Rather; nature is here that which lies within consciousness; and we have here to deal with morality
(Moralit?t) as such; with a harmony which is the active self's very own。 Consciousness has;
therefore; of itself to bring about this harmonious unity; and 〃to be always making progress in
morality〃。 The completion of this result; however; has to be pushed away into the remote infinite;
because if it actually entered the life of consciousness as an actual fact; the moral consciousness
would be done away with。 For morality is only moral consciousness qua negative force; sensibility
has merely a negative significance for the consciousness of pure duty; it is something merely 〃not in
conformity with〃 duty。 By attaining that harmony; however; morality qua consciousness; i。e。 its
actuality; passes away; just as in the moral consciousness or actuality its harmony vanishes。 The
completion is; therefore; not to be reached as an actual fact; it is to be thought of merely as an
absolute task or problem; i。e。 one which remains a problem pure and simple。 Nevertheless; its
content has to be thought as something which unquestionably has to be; and must not remain a
problem: whether we imagine the moral consciousness quite cancelled in the attainment of this
goal; or riot。 Which of these exactly is the case; can no longer be clearly distinguished in the dim
distance of infinitude; to which the attainment of the end has to be postponed; just because we
cannot decide the point。 We shall be; strictly speaking; bound to say that a definite idea on the
matter ought to be of no interest and ought not to be sought for; because this leads to
contradictions — the contradiction involved in an undertaking that at once ought to remain an
undertaking and yet ought to be carried out; and the conttradiction involved in the morality which
is to be no longer consciousness; i。e。 no longer actual。 By adopting the view; however; that
morality when completed would contain a contradiction; the sacredness of moral truth would be
seriously affected; and the unconditional duty would appear something unreal。

The first postulate was the harmony of morality and objective nature…the final purpose of the
world: the other was the harmony of morality and will in its sensuous form; in the form if impulse;
etc。…the final purpose of self…consciousness as such。 The former is the harmony in the form of
implicit immanent existence; the latter; the harmony in the form of explicit self…existence。 That;
however; which connects these two extreme final purposes which are thought; and operates as
their mediating ground; is the process of concrete action itself。 They are harmonies whose
moments have not yet become definitely objective in their abstract distinctiveness from each other:
this takes place in concrete actuality; in which the aspects appear in consciousness proper; each as
the other of the other。 The postulates arising by this means contain harmonies which are now both
immanent and self…existent; whereas formerly they were postulated merely separately; the one
being the immanent harmony; the other self…existent。

The moral consciousness; qua simple knowledge and willing of pure duty; is brought; by the
process of acting; into relation with an object opposed to that abstract simplicity; into relation with
the manifold actuality which various cases present; and thereby assumes a moral attitude varied
and manifold in character。 Hence arise; on the side of content; the plurality of laws generally; and;
on the side of form; the contradictory powers of intelligent knowing consciousness and of a being
devoid of consciousness。

To begin with; as regards the plurality of duties; it is merely the aspect of pure or bare duty in them
which the moral consciousness in general recognizes as having validity: the many duties qua many
are determinate and; therefore; are not; as such; anything sacred for the moral consciousness。 At
the same time; however; being necessary; in virtue of the notion of action which implicates a
manifold actuality; and hence manifold types of moral attitude; those many duties must be looked
on as having a substantial existence and value。 Furthermore; since they can only exist in a moral
consciousness; they exist at the same time in another consciousness than that for which only pure
duty qua pure duty is sacred and substantial。

It is thus postulated that there is another consciousness which renders them sacred; or which
knows them as duties and wills them so。 The first maintains pure duty indifferent towards all
specific content; and duty consists merely in being thus indifferent towards it。 The other; however;
contains the equally essential relation to the process of action; and the necessity; therefore; of
determinate content: since duties for this other mean determinate duties; the content is thus; for it;
just as essential as the form in virtue of which the content is a duty at all。 This consciousness is;
consequently; such that in it the universal and the particular are; through and through; one; its
essential principle is thus the same as that of the harmony of morality and happiness。 For this
opposition between morality and happiness expresses in like manner the separation of the
self…identical moral consciousness from that actuality which; qua manifold existence; opposes and
conflicts with the simple nature of duty。 While; however; the first postulate expresses merely the
objective existential harmony between morality and nature; because nature is therein the negative
of self…consciousness; is the moment of existence; this inherent harmony; on the other hand is now
affirmed essentially as a type of consciousness。 For existence now appears as the content of duty;
as that in the determinate duty which gives it specific determinateness。 The immanent harmony is
thus the unity of elements which; qua simple ultimate elements; are essentially thought…created; and
hence cannot exist except in a consciousness。 This latter becomes now a master and ruler of the
world; who brings about the harmony of morality and happiness; and at the same time sanctifies
duties in their Multiplicity。 To sanctify these duties means this much; that the consciousness of pure
duty cannot straight…way and directly a

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的