phenomenology of mind-第160章

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equally　wrong。　The　process　of　action　proves　their　unity　in　the　mutual　overthrow　of　both　powers
and　both　self…conscious　characters。　The　reconciliation　of　the　opposition　with　itself　is　the　Lethe　of
the　nether　world　in　the　form　of　Death…or　the　Lethe　of　the　upper　world　in　the　form　of　absolution；
not　from　guilt　（for　consciousness　cannot　deny　its　guilt；　because　the　act　was　done）；　but　from　the
crime；　and　in　the　form　of　the　peace　of　soul　which　atones　for　the　crime。　Both　are　forgetfulness；　the
disappearance　of　the　reality　and　action　of　the　powers　of　the　substance；　of　their　component
individualities；　and　of　the　powers　of　the　abstract　thought　of　good　and　evil。　For　none　of　them　by
itself　is　the　real　essence：　this　consists　in　the　undisturbed　calm　of　the　whole　within　itself；　the
immovable　unity　of　Fate；　the　quiescent　existence　（and　hence　want　of　activity　and　vitality）　of　the
family　and　government；　and　the　equal　honour　and　consequent　indifferent　unreality　of　Apollo　and
the　Furies；　and　the　return　of　their　spiritual　life　and　activity　into　Zeus　solely　and　simply。

This　destiny　completes　the　depopulation　of　Heaven…of　that　unthinking　blending　of　individuality　and。
ultimate　Being　—　a　blending　whereby　the　action　of　this　absolute　Being　appears　as　something
incoherent；　contingent；　unworthy　of　itself；　for　individuality；　when　attaching　in　a　merely　superficial
way　to　absolute　Being；　is　unessential。　The　expulsion　of　such　unreal　insubstantial　ideas；　which　was
demanded　by　the　philosophers　of　antiquity；　thus　already　has　its　beginning　in　tragedy　in　general；
through　the　fact　that　the　division　of　the　substance　is　controlled　by　the　notion；　and　hence
individuality　is　the　essential　individuality；　and　the　specific　determinations　are　absolute　characters。
The　self…consciousness　represented　in　tragedy　knows　and　acknowledges　on　that　account　only　one
highest　power；　Zeus。　This　Zeus　is　known　and　acknowledged　only　as　the　power　of　the　state　or　of
the　hearth　and　home；　and；　in　the　opposition　belonging　to　knowledge；　merely　as　the　Father　of　the
knowledge　of　the　particular；　—　a　knowledge　assuming　a　figure　in　the　drama：　—　and　again　as　the
Zeus　of　the　oath　and　of　the　Furies；　the　Zeus　of　what　is　universal；　of　the　inner　being　dwelling　in
concealment。　The　further　moments　taken　from　the　notion　（Begriff）　and　dispersed　in　the　form　of
ideal　presentation　（Vorstellung）；　moments　which　the　chorus　permits　to　hold　good　one　after　the
other；　are；　on　the　other　hand；　not　the　〃pathos〃　of　the　hero；　they　sink　to　the　level　of　passions　in　the
hero　—　to　the　level　of　accidental；　insubstantial　moments；　which　the　impersonal　chorus　no　doubt
praises；　but　which　are　not　capable　of　constituting　the　character　of　heroes；　nor　of　being　expressed
and　revered　by　them　as　their　real　nature。

But；　further；　the　persons　of　the　divine　Being　itself；　as　well　as　the　characters　of　its　substance；
coalesce　into　the　simplicity　of　what　is　devoid　of　consciousness。　This　necessity　has；　in　contrast　to
self…consciousness；　the　characteristic　of　being　the　negative　power　of　all　the　shapes　that　appear；　a
power　in　which　they　do　not　recognize　themselves；　but　perish　therein。　The　self　appears　as　merely
allotted　amongst　the　different　characters；　and　not　as　the　mediating　factor　of　the　process。　But
self…consciousness；　the　simple　certainty　of　self；　is　in　point　of　fact　the　negative　power；　the　unity　of
Zeus；　the　unity　of　the　substantial　essence　and　abstract　necessity；　it　is　the　spiritual　unity　into　which
everything　returns。　Because　actual　self…consciousness　is　still　distinguished　from　the　substance　and
fate；　it　is　partly　the　chorus；　or　rather　the　crowd　looking　on；　whom　this　movement　of　the　divine　life
fills　with　fear　as　being　something　alien　and　strange；　or　in　whom　this　movement；　as　something
closely　touching　themselves；　produces　merely　the　emotion　of　passive　pity。　Partly　again；　so　far　as
consciousness　co…operates　and　belongs　to　the　various　characters；　this　alliance　is　of　an　external
kind；　is　a　hypocrisy　—　because　the　true　union；　that　of　self；　fate；　and　substance；　is　not　yet　present。
The　hero；　who　appears　bef　ore　the　onlookers；　breaks　up　into　his　mask　and　the　actor；　into　the
person　of　the　play　and　the　actual　self。

The　self…consciousness　of　the　heroes　must　step　forth　from　its　mask　and　be　represented　as　knowing
itself　to　be　the　fate　both　of　the　gods　of　the　chorus　and　of　the　absolute　powers　themselves；　and　as
being　no　longer　separated　from　the　chorus；　the　universal　consciousness。

Comedy　has；　then；　first　of　all；　the　aspect　that　actual　self…consciousness　represents　itself　as　the　fate
of　the　gods。　These　elemental　Beings　are；　qua　universal　moments；　no　definite　self；　and　are　not
actual。　They　are；　indeed；　endowed　with　the　form　of　individuality；　but　this　is　in　their　case　merely　put
on；　and　does　not　really　and　truly　belong　to　them。　The　actual　self　has　no　such　abstract　moment　as
its　substance　and　content。　The　subject；　therefore；　is　raised　above　such　a　moment；　as　it　would　be
above　a　particular　quality；　and　when　clothed　with　this　mask　gives　utterance　to　the　irony　of　such　a
property　trying　to　be　something　on　its　own　account。　The　pretentious　claims　of　the　universal
abstract　nature　are　shown　up　and　discovered　in　the　actual　self；　it　is　seen　to　be　caught　and　held　in　a
concrete　reality；　and　lets　the　mask　drop；　just　when　it　wants　to　be　something　genuine。　The　self；
appearing　here　in　its　significance　as　something　actual；　plays　with　the　mask　which　it　once　puts　on；　in
order　to　be　its　own　person；　but　it　breaks　away　from　this　seeming　and　pretence　just　as　quickly
again；　and　comes　out　in　its　own　nakedness　and　commonness；　which　it　shows　not　to　be　distinct
from　the　proper　self；　the　actor；　nor　again　from　the　onlooker。

This　general　dissolution；　which　the　formally　embodied　essential　nature　as　a　whole　undergoes　when
it　assumes　individuality；　becomes　in　its　content　more　serious；　and　hence　more　petulant　and　bitter；
in　so　far　as　the　content　possesses　its　more　serious　and　necessary　meaning。　The　divine　substance
combines　the　meaning　of　natural　and　ethical　essentiality。

As　regards　the　natural　element；　actual　self…consciousness　shows　in　the　very　fact　of　applying
elements　of　nature　for　its　adornment；　for　its　abode　and　so　on；　and　again　in　feasting　on　its　own
offering；　that　itself　is　the　Fate　to　which　the　secret　is　betrayed；　no　matter　what　may　be　the　truth　as
regards　the　independent　substantialitv　of　nature。　In　the　mystery　of　the　bread　and　wine　it　makes　its
very　owm　this　self…subsistence　of　nature　together　with　the　significance　of　the　inner　reality；　and　in
Comedy　it　is　conscious　of　the　irony　lurking　in　this　meaning。

So　far；　again；　as　this　meaning　contains　the　essence　of　ethical　reality；　it　is　partly　the　nation　in　its　two
aspects　of　the　state；　or　Demos　proper；　and　individual　family　life；　partly；　however；　it　is
self…conscious　pure　knowledge；　or　rational　thought　of　the　universal。　Demos；　the　general　mass；
which　knows　itself　as　master　and　governor；　and　is　also　aware　of　being　the　insight　and　intelligence
which　demand　respect；　exerts　compulsion　and　is　befooled　through　the　particularity　of　its　actual　life；
and　exhibits　the　ludicrous　contrast　between　its　own　opinion　of　itself　and　its　immediate　existence；
between　its　necessity　and　contingency；　its　universality　and　its　vulgarity。　If　the　principle　of　its
individual　existence；　cut　off　from　the　universal；　breaks　out　in　the　proper　figure　of　an　actual　man　and
openly　usurps　and　administers　the　commonwealth；　to　which　it　is　a　secret　harm　and　detriment；　then
there　is　more　immediately　disclosed　the　contrast　between　the　universal　in　the　sense　of　a　theory；
and　that　with　which　practice　is　concerned；　there　stand　exposed　the　entire　emancipation　of　the　ends
and　aims　of　the　mere　individual　from　the　universal　order；　and　the　scorn　the　mere　individual　shows
for　such　order。（10）

Rational　thinking　removes　contingency　of　form　and　shape　from　the　divine　Being；　and；　in　opposition
to　the　uncritical　wisdom　of　the　chorus　—　a　wisdom；　giving　utterance　to　all　sorts　of　ethical　maxims
and　stamping　with　validity　and　authority　a　multitude　of　laws　and　specific　conceptions　of　duty　and
of　right　—　rational　thought　lifts　these　into　the　simple　Ideas　of　the　Beautiful　and　the　Good。　The
process　of　th