phenomenology of mind-第150章

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e。g。　the　incarnation　of　God；　which　is　found　in　Eastern　religion；　has　no　truth；　because　the　concrete
actual　spirit　of　this　religion　is　without　the　reconciliation　this　principle　implies。

It　is　not　in　place　here　to　return　from　the　totality　of　specific　determinations　back　to　the　individual
determination；　and　show　in　what　shape　the　plenitude　of　all　the　others　is　contained　within　it　and
within　its　particular　form　of　religion。　The　higher　form；　when　put　back　under　a　lower；　is　deprived　of
its　significance　for　self…conscious　spirit；　belongs　to　spirit　merely　in　a　superficial　way；　and　is　for　it　at
the　level　of　presentation。　The　higher　form　has　to　be　considered　in　its　own　peculiar　significance；　and
dealt　with　where　it　is　the　principle　of　a　particular　religion；　and　is　certified　and　approved　by　its
actual　spirit。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　GOD　AS　LIGHT　（2）

SPIRIT；　as　the　absolute　Being；；　which　is　self…consciousness…or　the　self…conscious　absolute　Being；
which　is　all　truth　and　knows　all　reality　as　itself　—　is；　to　begin　with；　merely　its　notion　and　principle　in
contrast　to　the　reality　which　it　gives　itself　in　the　process　of　its　conscious　activity。　And　this　notion　is；
as　contrasted　with　the　clear　daylight　of　that　explicit　development；　the　darkness　and　night　of　its
inner　life；　in　contrast　to　the　existence　of　its　various　moments　as　independent　forms　or　shapes；　this
notion　is　the　creative　secret　of　its　birth。　This　secret　has　its　revelation　within　itself；　for　existence　has
its　necessary　place　in　this　notion；　because　this　notion　is　spirit　knowing　itself；　and　thus　possesses　in
its　own　nature　the　moment　of　being　consciousness　and　of　presenting　itself　objectively。　We　have
here　the　pure　ego；　which　in　its　externalization；　in　itself　qua　universal　object；　has　the　certainty　of
self；　in　other　words；　this　object　is；　for　the　ego；　the　interfusion　of　all　thought　and　all　reality。

When　the　first　and　immediate　cleavage　is　made　within　self…knowing　Absolute　Spirit；　its　shape
assumes　that　character　which　belongs　to　immediate　consciousness　or　to　sense…certainty。　It　beholds
itself　in　the　form　of　being；　but　not　being　in　the　sense　of　what　is　without　spirit；　containing　only　the
contingent　qualities　of　sensation　—　the　kind　of　being　that　belongs　to　sense…certainty。　Its　being　is
filled　with　the　content　of　spirit。　It　also　includes　within　it　the　form　which　we。　found　in　the　case　of
immediate　self…consciousness；　the　form　of　lord　and　master；（3）　in　regard　to　the　self…consciousness
of　spirit　which　retreats　from　its　object。

This　being；　having　as　its　content　the　notion　of　spirit；　is；　then；　the　shape　of　spirit　in　relation　simply　to
itself　…　the　form　of　having　no　special　shape　at　all。　In　virtue　of　this　characteristic；　this　shape　is　the
pure　all…containing；　all…suffusing　Light　of　the　Sunrise；　which　preserves　itself　in　its　formless
indeterminate　substantiality。　Its　counterpart；　its　otherness；　is　the　equally　simple　negative　…
Darkness。　The　process　of　its　own　externalization；　its　creations　in　the　unresisting　element　of　its
counterpart；　are　bursts　of　Light。　At　the　same　time　in　their　ultimate　simplicity　they　are　its　way　of
becoming　something　for　itself；　and　its　return　from　its　objective　existence；　streams　of　fire　consuming
its　embodiment。　The　distinction；　which　it　gives　itself；　no　doubt　thrives　abundantly　on　the　substance
of　existence；　and　shapes　itself　as　the　diverse　forms　of　nature。　But　the　essential　simplicity　of　its
thought　rambles　and　roves　about　inconstant　and　inconsistent；　enlarges　its　bounds　to　measureless
extent；　and　its　beauty　heightened　to　splendour　is　lost　in　its　sublimity。（4）

The　content；　which　this　state　of　pure　being　evolves；　its　perceptive　activity；　is；　therefore；　an　unreal
by…play　on　this　substance　which　merely　rises；　without　setting　into　itself　to　become　subject　and
secure　firmly　its　distinctions　through　the　self。　Its　determinations　are　merely　attributes；　which　do　not
succeed　in　attaining　independence；　they　remain　merely　names　of　the　One；　called　by　many　names。
This　One　is　clothed　with　the　manifold　powers　of　existence　and　with　the　shapes　of　reality；　as　with　a
soulless；　selfless　ornament；　they　are　merely　messengers　of　its　mighty　power；（5）　claiming　no　will　of
their　own；　visions　of　its　glory；　voices　in　its　praise。

This　revel　of　heaving　life（6）　must；　however；　assume　the　character　of　distinctive　self…existence；　and
give　enduring　subsistence　to　its　fleeting　shapes。　Immediate　being；　in　which　it　places　itself　over
against　its　own　consciousness；　is　itself　the　negative　destructive　agency　which　dissolves　its
distinctions。　It　is　thus　in　truth　the　Self；　and　spirit　therefore　passes　on　to　know　itself　in　the　form　of
self。　Pure　Light　scatters　its　simplicity　as　an　infinity　of　separate　forms；　and　presents　itself　as　an
offering　to　self…existence；　that　the　individual　may　take　sustainment　to　itself　from　its　substance。

　　　　　　　　　　　　2。　PLANTS　AND　ANIMALS　AS　OBJECTS　OF　RELIGION　（7）

SELF…CONSCIOUS　spirit；　passing　away　from　abstract；　formless　essence　and　going　into　itself…or；
in　other　words；　having　raised　its　immediacy　to　the　level　of　Self　—　makes　its　simple　unity　assume　the
character　of　a　manifold　of　self…existing　entities；　and　is　the　religion　of　spiritual　sense…perception。
Here　spirit　breaks　up　into　an　innumerable　plurality　of　weaker　and　stronger；　richer　and　poorer
spirits。　This　Pantheism；　which；　to　begin　with；　consists　in　the　quiescent　subsistence　of　these　spiritual
atoms；　passes　into　a　process　of　active　internal　hostility。　The　innocence；　which　characterizes　the
flower　and　plant　religions；　and　which　is　merely　the　selfless　idea　of　Self；　gives　way　to　the
seriousness　of　struggling　warring　life；　to　the　guilt　of　animal　religions；　the　quiescence　and　impotence
of　contemplative　individuality　pass　into　the　destructive　activity　of　separate　self…existence。

It　is　of　no　avail　to　have　removed　the　lifelessness　of　abstraction　from　the　things　of　perception；　and
to　have　raised　them　to　the　level　of　realities　of　spiritual　perception：　the　animation　of　this　spiritual
kingdom　has　death　in　the　heart　of　it；　owing　to　the　determinateness　and　the　negativity；　which
overcome　and　trench　upon　the　innocent　indifference　＇of　the　various　species　of　plants＇　to　one
another。　Owing　to　this　determinateness　and　negativity；　the　dispersion　of　spirit　into　the　multiplicity　of
the　passive　plant…forms　becomes　a　hostile　process；　in　which　the　hatred　stirred　up　by　their
independent　self…existence　rages　and　consumes。

The　actual　self…consciousness　at　work　in　this　dispersed　and　disintegrated　spirit；　takes　the　form　of　a
multitude　of　individualized　mutually…antipathetic　folk…spirits；　who　fight　and　hate　each　other　to　the
death；　and　consciously　accept　certain　specific　forms　of　animals　as　their　essential　being　and
nature：（8）　for　they　are　nothing　else　than　spirits　of　animals；　or　animal　lives　separate　and　cut　off　from
one　another；　and　with　no　universality　consciously　present　in　them。

The　characteristic　of　purely　negative　independent　self…existence；　however；　consumes　itself　in　this
active　hatred　towards　one　another；　and　through　this　process；　involved　in　its　very　principle；　spirit
enters　into　another　shape。　Independent　self…existence　cancelled　and　abolished　is　the　form　of　the
object；　a　form　which　is　produced　by　the　self；　or　rather　is　the　self　produced；　the　self…consuming
self；　i。e。　the　self　that　becomes　a　〃thing〃。　The　agent　at　work；　therefore；　retains　the　upper　hand　over
these　animal　spirits　merely　tearing　each　other　to　pieces；　and　his　action　is　not　merely　negative；　but
composed　and　positive。　The　consciousness　of　spirit　is；　thus；　now　the　process　which　is　above　and
beyond　the　immediate　inherent　＇universal＇　nature；　as　well　as　transcends　the　abstract　self…existence
in　isolation。　Since　the　implicit　inherent　nature　is　reduced；　through　opposition；　to　the　level　of　a
specific　character；　it　is　no　longer　the　proper　form　of　Absolute　Spirit；　but　a　reality　which　its
consciousness　finds　lying　over　against　itself　as　an　ordinary　existing　fact　and　cancels；　at　the　same
time　this　consciousness　is　not　merely　this　negative　cancelling　self…existent　being；　but　produces　its
own　objective　idea　of　itself；…self…existence　put　forth　in　the　form　of　an　object。　This　process　of
production