phenomenology of mind-第157章

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out　of　sight　the　expanse　and　the　seriousness　of　meaning；　and　the　inner　character　of　the　spirit　which
underlies　the　particular　mode　of　life；　the　peculiar　petitions；　the　needs　and　the　customs　of　his　nation。
In　relinquishing　all　this　for　complete　corporeal　embodiment；　spirit　has　laid　aside　the　particular
impressions；　the　special　tones　and　chords　of　that　nature　which　it；　as　the　actual　spirit　of　the　nation；
includes。　Its　nation；　therefore；　is　no　longer　conscious　in　this　spirit　of　its　special　particular　character；
but　rather　of　having　laid　this　aside；　and　of　the　universality　of　its　human　existence。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　The　〃Light〃　of　the　world。　

2。　As　found　in　the　mysteries　of　Demeter。　

3。　As　found　in　the　mysteries　of　Bacchus　and　Dionysus。　

4。　The　Maenads；　cp。　Euripides；　Bacchae。　

5。　As　distinct　from　the　worship　of　Apollo。　




c
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Spiritual　Work　of　Art

THE　national　spirits；　which　become　conscious　of　their　being　in　the　shape　of　some　particular
animal；　coalesce　into　one　single　spirit。（1）　Thus　it　is　that　the　separate　artistically　beautiful　national
spirits　combine　to　form　a　Pantheon；　the　element　and　habitation　of　which　is　Language。　Pure　intuition
of　self　in　the　sense　of　universal　human　nature　takes；　when　the　national　spirit　is　actualized；　this　form：
the　national　spirit　combines　with　the　others　（which　with　it　constitute；　through　nature　and　natural
conditions；　one　people）；　in　a　common　undertaking；　and　for　this　task　builds　up　a　collective　nation；
and；　with　that；　a　collective　heaven。　This　universality；　to　which　spirit　attains　in　its　existence；　is；
nevertheless；　merely　this　first　universality；　which；　to　begin　with；　starts　from　the　individuality　of
ethical　life；　has　not　yet　overcome　its　immediacy；　has　not　yet　built　up　a　single　state　out　of　these
separate　national　elements。　The　ethical　life　of　an　actual　national　spirit　rests　partly　on　the　immediate
confiding　trust　of　the　individuals　in　the　whole　of　their　nation；　partly　in　the　direct　share　which　all；　in
spite　of　differences　of　class；　take　in　the　decisions　and　acts　of　its　government。　In　the　union；　not　in
the　first　instance　to　secure　a　permanent　order　but　merely　for　a　common　act；　that　freedom　of
participation　on　the　part　of　each　and　all　is　for　the　nonce　set　aside。　This　first　community　of　life　is；
therefore；　an　assemblage　of　individualities　rather　than　the　dominion　and　control　of　abstract　thought；
which　would　rob　the　individuals　of　their　self…conscious　share　in　the　will　and　act　of　the　whole。

The　assembly　of　national　spirits　constitutes　a　circle　of　forms　and　shapes；　which　now　embraces　the
whole　of　nature；　as　well　as　the　whole　ethical　world。　They　too　are　under　the　supreme　command
rather　than　the　supreme　dominion　of　the　One。　By　themselves；　they　are　the　universal　substances
embodying　what　the　self…conscious　essential　reality　inherently　is　and　does。　This；　however；
constitutes　the　moving　force；　and；　in　the　first　instance；　at　least　the　centre；　with　which　those
universal　entities　are　concerned；　and　which；　to　begin　with；　seems　to　unite　in　a　merely　accidental
way　all　that　they　variously　accomplish。　But　it　is　the　return　of　the　divine　Being　to　self…consciousness
which　already　contains　the　reason　that　self…consciousness　forms　the　centre　for　those　divine　forces；
and　conceals　their　essential　unity　in　the　first　instance　under　the　guise　of　a　friendly　external　relation
between　both　worlds。

The　same　universality；　which　belongs　to　this　content；　attaches　necessarily　also　to　that　form　of
consciousness　in　which　the　content　appears。　It　is　no　longer　the　concrete　acts　of　the　cult；　it　is　an
action　which　is　not　indeed　raised　as　yet　to　the　level　of　the　notion；　but　only　to　that　of　ideas；　the
synthetic　connexion　of　self…conscious　and　external　existence。　The　element　in　which　these　presented
ideas　exist；　language；　is　the　earliest　language；　the　Epic　as　such。；　which　contains　the　universal
content；　at　any　rate　universal　in　the　sense　of　completeness　of　the　world　presented；　though　not　in
the　sense　of　universality　of　thought。　The　Minstrel　is　the　individual　and　actual　spirit　from　whom；　as　a
subject　of　this　world；　it　is　produced；　and　by　whom　it　is　borne。　His　〃pathos〃　is　not　the　deafening
power　of　nature；　but　Mnemosyne；　Recollection；　a　gradually　evolved　inwardness；　the　memory　of
an　essential　mode　of　being　once　directly　present。　He　is　the　organ　and　instrument　whose　content　is
passing　away；　it　is　not　his　own　self　which　is　of　any　account；　but　his　muse；　his　universal　song。　What；
however；　is　present　in　fact；　has　the　form　of　an　inferential　process；　where　the　one　extreme　of
universality；　the　world　of　gods；　is　connected　with　individuality；　the　minstrel；　through　the　middle
term　of　particularity。　The　middle　term　is　the　nation　in　its　heroes；　who　are　individual　men　like　the
minstrel；　but　only　ideally　presented；　and　thereby　at　the　same　time　universal　like　the　free　extreme　of
universality；　the　gods。

In　this　Epic；　then；　what　is　inherently　established　in　the　cult；　the　relation　of　the　divine　to　the　human；
is　set　forth　and　displayed　as　a　whole　to　consciousness。　The　content　is　an　〃act〃（2）　of　the　essential
Being　conscious　of　itself。　Acting　disturbs　the　peace　of　the　substance；　and　awakens　the　essential
Being；　and　by　so　doing　its　simple　unity　is　divided　into　parts；　and　opened　up　into　the　manifold　world
of　natural　powers　and　ethical　forces。　The　act　is　the　violation　of　the　peaceful　earth；　it　is　the　trench
which；　vivified　by　the　blood　of　the　living；　calls　forth　the　spirits　of　the　departed；　who　are　thirsting　for
life；　and　who　receive　it　in　the　action　of　self…consciousness。（3）　There　are　two　sides　to　the　business
the　universal　activity　is　concerned　to　accomplish：　the　side　of　the　self…in　virtue　of　which　it　is　brought
about　by　a　collection　of　actual　nations　with　the　prominent　individualities　at　the　head　of　them；　and
the　side　of　the　universal　—　in　virtue　of　which　it　is　brought　about　by　their　substantial　forces。　The
relation　of　the　two；　however；　took；　as　we　saw　just　now；　the　character　of　being　the　synthetic
connexion　of　universal　and　individual；　i。e。　of　being　a　process　of　ideal　presentation。　On　this　specific
character　depends　the　judgment　regarding　this　world。

The　relation　of　the　two　is；　by　this　means；　a　commingling　of　both；　which　illogically　divides　the　unity
of　the　action；　and　in　a　needless　fashion　throws　the　act　from　one　side　over　to　the　other。　The
universal　powers　have　the　form　of　individual　beings；　and　thus　have　in　them　the　principle　from　which
action　comes；　when　they　effect　anything；　therefore；　this　seems　to　proceed　as　entirely　from　them
and　to　be　as　free　as　in　the　case　of　men。　Hence　both　gods　and　men　have　done　one　and　the　same
thing。　The　seriousness　with　which　those　divine　powers　go　to　work　is　ridiculously　unnecessary；
since　they　are　in　point　of　fact　the　moving　force　of　the　individualities　engaged　in　the　acts；　while　the
strain　and　toil　of　the　latter　again　is　an　equally　useless　effort；　since　the　former　direct　and　manage
everything。　Overzealous　mortal　creatures；　who　are　as　nothing；　are　at　the　same　time　the　mighty　self
that　brings　into　subjection　the　universal　beings；　offends　the　gods；　and　procures　for　them　actual
reality　and　an　interest　in　acting。　Just　as；　conversely；　these　powerless　gods；　these　impotent　universal
beings；　who　procure　their　sustenance　from　the　gifts　of　men　and　through　men　first　get　something　to
do；　are　the　natural　inner　principle　and　the　substance　of　all　events；　as　also　the　ethical　material；　and
the　〃pathos〃　of　action。　If　their　cosmic　natures　first　get　reality　and　a　sphere　of　effectual　operation
through　the　free　self　of　individuality；　it　is　also　the　case　that　they　are　the　universal；　which　withdraws
from　and　avoids　this　connexion；　remains　unrestricted　and　unconstrained　in　its　own　character；　and；
by　the　unconquerable　elasticity　of　its　unity；　extinguishes　the　atomic　singleness　of　the　individual
acting　and　his　various　features；　preserves　itself　in　its　purity；　and　dissolves　all　that　is　individual　in　the
current　of　its　own　continuity。

Just　as　the　gods　fall　into　this　contradictory　relation　with　the　antithetic　nature　having　the　form　of　self；
in　the　same　way　their　universality　comes　into　conflict　with　their　own　spe