phenomenology of mind-第158章

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in　the　same　way　their　universality　comes　into　conflict　with　their　own　specific　character　and　the
relation　in　which　it　stands　to　others。　They　are　the　eternal　and　resplendent　individuals；　who　exist　in
their　own　calm；　and　are　removed　from　the　changes　of　time　and　the　influence　of　alien　forces。　But
they　are　at　the　same　time　determinate　elements；　particular　gods；　and　thus　stand　in　relation　to
others。　But　that　relation　to　others；　which；　in　virtue　of　the　opposition　it　involves；　is　one　of　strife；　is　a
comic　self…forgetfulness　of　their　eternal　nature。　The　determinateness　they　possess　is　rooted　in　the
divine　subsistence；　and　in　its　specific　limitation　has　the　independence　of　the　whole　individuality；
owing　to　this　whole；　their　characters　at　once　lose　the　sharpness　of　their　distinctive　peculiarity；　and
in　their　ambiguity　blend　together。

One　purpose　of　their　activity　and　their　activity　itself；　being　directed　against　an　〃other〃　and　so
against　an　invincible　divine　force；　are　a　contingent　and　futile　piece　of　bravado；　which　passes　away
at　once；　and　transforms　the　pretence　of　seriousness　in　the　act　into　a　harmless；　self…confident　piece
of　sport　with　no　result　and　no　issue。　If；　however；　in　the　nature　of　their　divinity；　the　negative
element；　the　specific　determinateness　of　that　nature；　appears　merely　as　the　inconsistency　of　their
activity；　and　as　the　contradiction　between　the　purpose　and　result；　and　if　that　independent
self…confidence　outweighs　and　overbalances　the　element　of　determinateness；　then；　by　that　very
fact；　the　pure　force　of　negativity　confronts　and　opposes　their　nature；　and　moreover　with　a　power
to　which　it　must　finally　submit；　and　over　which　it　can　in　no　way　prevail。　They　are　the　universal；　and
the　positive；　as　against　the　individual　self　of　mortals；　which　cannot　hold　out　against　their　power　and
might。　But　the　universal　self；　for　that　reason；　hovers　over　them　＇the　gods　in　Homer＇　and　over　this
whole　world　of　imagination　to　which　the　entire　content　belongs；　and　is　for　them　the　unintelligible
void　of　Necessity；　—　a　mere　happening　to　which　they　stand　related　selfless　and　sorrowing；　for
these　determinate　natures　do　not　find　themselves　in　this　purely　formal　necessity。

This　necessity；　however；　is　the　unity　of　the　notion；　a　unity　dominating　and　controlling　the
contradictory　independent　subsistence　of　the　individual　moments　a　unity　in　which　the　inconsistency
and　fortuitousness　of　their　action　is　coherently　regulated；　and　the　sportive　character　of　their　acts
receives　its　serious　value　in　those　acts　themselves。　The　content　of　the　world　of　imagination　carries
on　its　process　in　the　middle　element　＇term＇　detached　by　itself；　gathering　round　the　individuality　of
some　hero；　who；　however　feels　the　strength　and　splendour　of　his　life　broken；　and　mourns　the　early
death　he　sees　ahead　of　him。　For　individuality；　firmly　established　and　real　in　itself；　is　isolated　and
excluded　to　the　utmost　extreme；　and　severed　into　its　moments；　which　have　not　yet　found　each
other　and　united。　The　one　individual　element；　the　abstract　unreal　moment；　is　necessity　which　shares
in　the　life　of　the　mediating　term　just　as　little　as　does　the　other；　the　concrete　real　individual　element；
the　minstrel；　who　keeps　himself　outside　it；　and　disappears　in　what　he　imaginatively　presents。　Both
extremes　must　get　nearer　the　content；　the　one；　necessity；　has　to　get　filled　with　it；　the　other；　the
language　of　the　minstrel；　must　have　a　share　in　it。　And　the　content　formerly　left　to　itself　must　acquire
in　itself　the　certainty　and　the　fixed　character　of　the　negative。

This　higher　language；　that　of　Tragedy；　gathers　and　keeps　more　closely　together　the　dispersed　and
scattered　moments　of　the　inner　essential　world　and　the　world　of　action。　The　substance　of　the
divine　falls　apart；　in　accordance　with　the　nature　of　the　notion；　into　its　shapes　and　forms；　and　their
movement　is　likewise　in　conformity　with　that　notion。　In　regard　to　form；　the　language　here　ceases　to
be　narrative；　in　virtue　of　the　fact　that　it　enters　into　the　content；　just　as　the　content　ceases　to　be
merely　one　that　is　ideally　imagined。　The　hero　is　himself　the　spokesman；　and　the　representation
given　brings　before　the　audience　—　who　are　also　spectators　…　self…conscious　human　beings；　who
know　their　own　rights　and　purposes；　the　power　and　the　will　belonging　to　their　specific　nature；　and
who　know　how　to　state　them。　They　are　artists　who　do　not　express　with　unconscious　na？veté　and
naturalness　the　merely　external　aspect　of　what　they　begin　and　what　they　decide　upon；　as　is　the
case　in　the　language　accompanying　ordinary　action　in　actual　life；　they　make　the　very　inner　being
external；　they　prove　the　righteousness　of　their　action；　and　the　〃pathos〃　controlling　them　is　soberly
asserted　and　definitely　expressed　in　its　universal　individuality；　free　from　all　accident　of
circumstance　and　the　particular　peculiarities　of　personalities。　Lastly；　it　is　in　actual　human　beings　that
these　characters　get　existence；　human　beings　who　impersonate　the　heroes；　and　represent　them　in
actual　speech；　not　in　the　form　of　a　narrative；　but　speaking　in　their　own　person。　Just　as　it　is　essential
for　a　statue　to　be　made　by　human　hands；　so　is　the　actor　essential　to　his　mask　—　not　as　an　external
condition；　from　which；　artistically　considered；　we　have　to　abstract；　or　so　far　as　abstraction　must
certainly　be　made；　we　thereby　state　just　that　art　does　not　yet　contain　in　it　the　true　and　proper　self。

The　general　ground；　on　which　the　movement　of　these　shapes　produced　from　the　notion　takes
place；　is　the　consciousness　expressed　in　the　imaginative　language　of　the　Epic；　where　the　detail　of
the　content　is　loosely　spread　out　with　no　unifying　self。　It　is　the　commonalty　in　general；　whose
wisdom　finds　utterance　in　the　Chorus　of　the　Elders；　in　the　powerlessness　of　this　chorus　the
generality　finds　its　representative；　because　the　common　people　itself　compose　merely　the　positive
and　passive　material　for　the　individuality　of　the　government　confronting　it。　Lacking　the　power　to
negate　and　oppose；　it　is　unable　to　hold　together　and　keep　within　bounds　the　riches　and　varied
fullness　of　divine　life；　it　allows　each　individual　moment　to　go　off　its　own　way；　and　in　its　hymns　of
honour　and　reverence　praises　each　individual　moment　as　an　independent　god；　now　this　god　and
now　again　another。　Where；　however；　it　detects　the　seriousness　of　the　notion；　and　perceives　how
the　notion　marches　onward　shattering　these　forms　as　it　goes　along；　and　where　it　comes　to　see　how
badly　its　praised　and　honoured　gods　come　off　when　they　venture　on　the　ground　where　the　notion
holds　sway；　—　there　it　is　not　itself　the　negative　power　interfering　by　action；　but　keeps　itself　within
the　abstract　selfless　thought　of　such　power；　confines　itself　to　the　consciousness　of　alien　and
external　destiny；　and　produces　the　empty　wish　to　tranquillize；　and　feeble　ineffective　talk　intended
to　appease。　In　its　terror　before　the　higher　powers；　which　are　the　immediate　arms　of　the　substance；
in　its　terror　before　their　struggle　with　one　another；　and　before　the　simple　self　of　that　necessity；
which　crushes　them　as　well　as　the　living　beings　bound　up　with　them；　in　its　compassion　for　these
living　beings；　whom　it　knows　at　once　to　be　the　same　with　itself　—　it　is　conscious　of　nothing　but
ineffective　horror　of　this　whole　process；　conscious　of　equally　helpless　pity；　and；　as　the　end　of　all；
the　mere　empty　peace　of　resignation　to　necessity；　whose　work　is　apprehended　neither　as　the
necessary　act　of　the　character；　nor　as　the　action　of　the　absolute　Being　within　itself。

Spirit　does　not　appear　in　its　dissociated　multiplicity　on　the　plane　of　this　onlooking　consciousness
＇the　chorus＇；　the　indifferent　ground；　as　it　were；　on　which　the　presentation　takes　place；　it　comes　on
the　scene　in　the　simple　diremption　of　the　notion。　Its　substance　manifests　itself；　therefore；　merely
torn　asunder　into　its　two　extreme　powers。　These　elementary　universal　beings　are；　at　the　same　time；
self…conscious　individualities　—　heroes　who　put　their　conscious　life　into　one　of　these　powers；　find
therein　determinateness　of　character；　and　constitute　the　effective　activity　and　reality　of　these
powers。　This　universal　individualization　descends　again；　as