phenomenology of mind-第159章

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therein　determinateness　of　character；　and　constitute　the　effective　activity　and　reality　of　these
powers。　This　universal　individualization　descends　again；　as　will　be　remembered；　to　the　immediate
reality　of　existence　proper；　and　is　presented　before　a　crowd　of　spectators；　who　find　in　the　chorus
their　image　and　counterpart；　or　rather　their　own　thought　giving　itself　expression。

The　content　and　movement　of　the　spirit；　which　is；　object　to　itself　here；　have　been　already
considered　as　the　nature　and　realization　of　the　substance　of　ethical　life。　In　its　form　of　religion　spirit
attains　to　consciousness　about　itself；　or　reveals　itself　to　its　consciousness　in　its　purer　form　and　its
simpler　mode　of　embodiment。　If；　then；　the　ethical　substance　by　its　very　principle　broke　up；　as
regards　its　content；　into　two　powers　—　which　were　defined　as　divine　and　human　law；　law　of　the
nether　world　and　law　of　the　upper　world；　the　one　the　family；　the　other　state　sovereignty；　the　first
bearing　the　impress　and　character　of　woman；　the　other　that　of　man　—　in　the　same　way；　the
previously　multiform　circle　of　gods；　with　its　wavering　and　unsteady　characteristics；　confines　itself　to
these　powers；　which　owing　to　this　feature　are　brought　closer　to　individuality　proper。　For　the
previous　dispersion　of　the　whole　into　manifold　abstract　forces；　which　appear　hypostatized；　is　the
dissolution　of　the　subject　which　comprehends　them　merely　as　moments　in　its　self；　and　individuality
is　therefore　only　the　superficial　form　of　these　entities。　Conversely；　a　further　distinction　of　characters
than　that　just　named　is　to　be　reckoned　as　contingent　and　inherently　external　personality。

At　the　same　time；　the　essential　nature　＇in　the　case　of　ethical　substance＇　gets　divided　in　its　form；　i。e。
with　respect　to　knowledge。　Spirit　when　acting；　appears；　qua　consciousness；　over　against　the
object　on　which　its　activity　is　directed；　and　which；　in　consequence；　is　determined　as　the　negative　of
the　knowing　agent。　The　agent　finds　himself　thereby　in　the　opposition　of　knowing　and　not　knowing。
He　takes　his　purpose　from　his　own　character；　and　knows　it　to　be　essential　ethical　fact；　but　owing
to　the　determinateness　of　his　character；　he　knows　merely　the　one　power　of　substance；　the　other
remains　for　him　concealed　and　out　of　sight。　The　present　reality；　therefore；　is　one　thing　in　itself；　and
another　for　consciousness。　The　higher　and　lower　right　come　to　signify　in　this　connexion　the　power
that　knows　and　reveals　itself　to　consciousness；　and　the　power　concealing　itself　and　lurking　in　the
background。　The　one　is　the　aspect　of　light；　the　god　of　the　Oracle；　who　as　regards　its　natural
aspect　＇Light＇　has　sprung　from　the　all…illuminating　Sun；　knows　all　and　reveals　all；　Ph？bus　and　Zeus；
who　is　his　Father。　But　the　commands　of　this　truth…speaking　god；　and　his　proclamations　of　what　is；
are　really　deceptive　and　fallacious。　For　this　knowledge　is；　in　its　very　principle；　directly　not
knowledge；　because　consciousness　in　acting　is　inherently　this　opposition。　He；（4）　who　had　the
power　to　unlock　the　riddle　of　the　sphinx；　and　he　too　who　trusted　with　childlike　confidence；（5）　are；
therefore；　both　sent　to　destruction　through　what　the　god　reveals　to　them。　The　priestess；　through
whose　mouth　the　beautiful　god　speaks；（6）　is　in　nothing　different　from　the　equivocal　sisters　of　fate；（7）
who　drive　their　victim　to　crime　by　their　promises；　and　who；　by　the　double…tongued；　equivocal
character　of　what　they　gave　out　as　a　certainty；　deceive　the　King　when　he　relies　upon　the　manifest
and　obvious　meaning　of　what　they　say。　There　is　a　type　of　consciousness　that　is　purer　than　the
latter（8）　which　believes　in　witches；　and　more　sober；　more　thorough；　and　more　solid　than　the　former
which　puts　its　trust　in　the　priestess　and　the　beautiful　god。　This　type　of　consciousness；（9）　therefore；
lets　his　revenge　tarry　for　the　revelation　which　the　spirit　of　his　father　makes　regarding　the　crime　that
did　him　to　death；　and　institutes　other　proofs　in　addition　—　for　the　reason　that　the　spirit　giving　the
revelation　might　possibly　be　the　devil。

This　mistrust　has　good　grounds；　because　the　knowing　consciousness　takes　its　stand　on　the
opposition　between　certainty　of　itself　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　objective　essential　reality　on　the
other。　Ethical　rightness；　which　insists　that　actuality　is　nothing　per　se　in　opposition　to　absolute　law；
finds　out　that　its　knowledge　is　onesided；　its　law　merely　a　law　of　its　own　character；　and　that　it　has
laid　hold　of　merely　one　of　the　powers　of　the　substance。　The　act　itself　is　this　inversion　of　what　is
known　into　its　opposite；　into　objective　existence；　turns　round　what　is　right　from　the　point　of　view
of　character　and　knowledge　into　the　right　of　the　very　opposite　with　which　the　former　is　bound　up
in　the　essential　nature　of　the　substance　—　turns　it　into　the　〃Furies〃　who　embody　the　right　of　the
other　power　and　character　awakened　into　hostility。　The　lower　right　sits　with　Zeus　enthroned；　and
enjoys　equal　respect　and　homage　with　the　god　revealed　and　knowing。

To　these　three　supernatural　Beings　the　world　of　the　gods　of　the　chorus　is　limited　and　restricted　by
the　acting　individuality。　The　one　is　the　substance；　the　power　presiding　over　the　hearth　and　home
and　the　spirit　worshipped　by　the　family；　as　well　as　the　universal　power　pervading　state　and
government。　Since　this　distinction　belongs　to　the　substance　as　such；　it　is；　when　dramatically
presented；　not　individualized　in　two　distinct　shapes　＇of　the　substance＇；　but　has　in　actual　reality　the
two　persons　of　its　characters。　On　the　other　hand；　the　distinction　between　knowing　and　not
knowing　falls　within　each　of　the　actual　self…consciousnesses；　and　only　in　abstraction；　in　the　element
of　universality；　does　it　get　divided　into　two　individual　shapes。　For　the　self　of　the　hero　only　exists　as
a　whole　consciousness；　and　hence　includes　essentially　the　whole　of　the　distinction　belonging　to　the
form；　but　its　substance　is　determinate；　and　only　one　side　of　the　content　distinguished　belongs　to
him。　Hence　the　two　sides　of　consciousness；　which　have　m　concrete　reality　no　separate　individuality
peculiarly　their　own；　receive；　when　ideally　represented；　each　its　own　particular　form：　the　one　that
of　the　god　revealed；　the　other　that　of　the　Furies　keeping　themselves　concealed。　In　part　both　enjoy
equal　honour；　while　again；　the　form　assumed　by　the　substance；　Zeus；　is　the　necessity　of　the　relation
of　the　two　to　one　another。　The　substance　is　the　relation　＇1＇　that　knowledge　is　for　itself；　but　finds　its
truth　in　what　is　simple；　＇2＇　that　the　distinction；　through　and　in　which　actual　consciousness　exists；
has　its　basis　in　that　inner　being　which　destroys　it；　＇3＇　that　the　clear　conscious　assurance　of　certainty
has　its　confirmation　in　forgetfulness。

Consciousness　disclosed　this　opposition　by　action；　through　doing　something。　Acting　in　accordance
with　the　knowledge　revealed；　it；　finds　out　the　deceptiveness　of　that　knowledge；　and　being
committed；　as　regards　its　inner　nature。；　to　one　of　the　attributes　of　substance；　it　did　violence　to　the
other　and　thereby　gave　the　latter　right　as　against　itself。　When　following　that　god　who　knows　and
reveals　himself；　it　really　seized　hold　of　what　is　not　revealed；　and　pays　the　penalty　for　having　trusted
the　knowledge；　whose　equivocal　character　（since　this　is　its　very　nature）　it　also　had　to　discover；
and　an　admonition　thereanent　to　be　given。　The　frenzy　of　the　priestess；　the　inhuman　shape　of　the
witches；　the　voices　of　trees　and　birds；　dreams；　and　so　on；　are　not　ways　in　which　truth　appears；
they　are　admonitory　signs　of　deception；　of　want　of　judgment；　of　the　individual　and　accidental
character　of　knowledge。　Or；　what　comes　to　the　same　thing；　the　opposite　power；　which
consciousness　has　violated；　is　present　as　express　law　and　authentic　right；　whether　law　of　the　family
or　law　of　the　state；　while　consciousness；　on　the　other　hand；　pursued　its　own　proper　knowledge；
and　hid　from　itself　what　was　revealed。

The　truth；　however；　of　the　opposing　powers　of　content　and　consciousness　is　the　final　result；　that
both　are　equally　right；　and；　hence；　in　their　opposition　（which　comes　about　through　action）　are
equally　wrong。　The　process　of　action　proves　their　unity　in　the　mutual