phenomenology of mind-第164章

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from　its　eternal　pure　simplicity；　but　in　fact　it　has；　in　so　doing；　attained　for　the　first　time　its　highest
nature；　its　supreme　reach　of　being。　For　only　when　the　notion　of　Being　has　reached　its　simple　purity
of　nature；　is　it　both　the　absolute　abstraction；　which　is　pure　thought　and　hence　the　pure　singleness
of　self；　and　immediacy　or　objective　being；　on　account　of　its　simplicity。

What　is　called　sense…consciousness　is　just　this　pure　abstraction；　it　is　this　kind　of　thought　for　which
being　is　the　immediate。　The　lowest　is　thus　at　the　same　time　the　highest：　the　revealed　which　has
come　forth　entirely　to　the　surface　is　just　therein　the　deepest　reality。　That　the　Supreme　Being　is
seen；　heard；　etc。；　as　an　existent　self…consciousness　this　is；　in　very　truth；　the　culmination　and
consummation　of　its　notion。　And　through　this　consummation；　the　Divine　Being　is　given　and　exists
immediately　in　its　character　as　Divine　Being。

This　immediate　existence　is　at　the　same　time　not　solely　and　simply　immediate　consciousness；　it　is
religious　consciousness。　This　immediacy　means　not　only　an　existent　self…consciousness；　but　also
the　purely　thought…constituted　or　Absolute　Being；　and　these　meanings　are　inseparable。　What　we
＇the　philosophers＇　are　conscious　of　in　our　conception；　—　that　objective　being　is　ultimate　essence；
—　is　the　same　as　what　the　religious　consciousness　is　aware　of。　This　unity　of　being　and　essence；　of
thought　which　is　immediately　existence；　is　immediate　knowledge　on　the　part　of　this　religious
consciousness　just　as　it　is　the　inner　thought　or　the　mediated　reflective　knowledge　of　this
consciousness。　For　this　unity　of　being　and　thought　is　self…consciousness　and　actually　exists；　in　other
words；　the　thought…constituted　unity　has　at　the　same　time　this　concrete　shape　and　form　of　what　it
is。　God；　then；　is　here　revealed；　as　He　is；　He　actually　exists　as　He　is　in　Himself；　He　is　real　as　Spirit。
God　is　attainable　in　pure　speculative　knowledge　alone；　and　only　is　in　that　knowledge；　and　is
merely　that　knowledge　itself；　for　He　is　spirit；　and　this　speculative　knowledge　is　the　knowledge
furnished　by　revealed　religion。　That　knowledge　knows　God　to　be　thought；　or　pure　Essence；　and
knows　this　thought　as　actual　being　and　as　a　real　existence；　and　existence　as　the　negativity　of　itself；
hence　as　Self；　an　individual　〃this〃　and　a　universal　self。　It　is　just　this　that　revealed　religion　knows。

The　hopes　and　expectations　of　preceding　ages　pressed　forward　to；　and　were　solely　directed
towards　this　revelation；　the　vision　of　what　Absolute　Being　is；　and　the　discovery　of　themselves
therein。　This　joy；　the　joy　of　seeing　itself　in　Absolute　Being；　becomes　realized　in　self…consciousness；
and　seizes　the　whole　world。　For　the　Absolute　is　Spirit；　it　is　the　simple　movement　of　those　pure
abstract　moments；　which　expresses　just　this…that　Ultimate　Reality　is　then；　and　not　till　then；　known
as　Spirit　when　it　is　seen　and　beheld　as　immediate　self…consciousness。

This　conception　of　spirit　knowing　itself　to　be　spirit；　is　still　the　immediate　notion；　it　is　not　yet
developed。　The　ultimate　Being　is　spirit；　in　other　words；　it　has　appeared；　it　is　revealed。　This　first
revelation　is　itself　immediate；　but　the　immediacy　is　likewise　thought；　or　pure　mediation；　and　must
therefore　exhibit　and　set　forth　this　moment　in　the　sphere　of　immediacy　as　such。

Looking　at　this　more　precisely；　spirit；　when　self…consciousness　is　immediate；　is　〃this〃　individual
self…consciousness　set　up　in　contrast　to　the　universal　self…consciousness。　It　is　a　one；　an　excluding
unit；　which　appears　to　that　consciousness；　for　which　it　exists；　in　the　as　yet　impervious　form　of　a
sensuous　other；　an　unresolved　entity　in　the　sphere　of　sense。　This　other　does　not　yet　know　spirit　to
be　its　own；　in　other　words　spirit；　in　its　form　as　an　individual　self；　does　not　yet　exist　as　equally
universal　self；　as　all　self。　Or　again；　the　shape　it　assumes　has　not　as　yet　the　form　of　the　notion；　i。e。
of　the　universal　self；　of　the　self　which　in　its　immediate　actual　reality　is　at　once　transcended；　is
thought；　universality；　without　losing　its　reality　in　this　universality。

The　preliminary　and　similarly　immediate　form　of　this　universality　is；　however；　not　at　once　the　form
of　thought　itself；　of　the　notion　as　notion；　it　is　the　universality　of　actual　reality；　it　is　the　〃allness〃；　the
collective　totality；　of　the　selves；　and　is　the　elevation　of　existence　into　the　sphere　of　figurative
thought　（Vorstellung）；　just　as　in　general；　to　take　a　concrete　example；　the　〃this〃　of　sense；　when
transcended；　is　first　of　all　the　〃thing〃　of　〃perception〃；　and　is　not　yet　the　〃universal〃　of
〃understanding〃。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（b）。　in　a　Religious　Communion

This　individual　human　being；　then；　which　Absolute　Being　is　revealed　to　be；　goes　through　in　its　own
case　as　an　individual　the　process　found　in　sense　existence。　He　is　the　immediately　present　God；　in
consequence；　His　being　passes　over　into　His　having　been。　Consciousness；　for　which　God　is　thus
sensuously　present；　ceases　to　see　Him；　to　hear　Him：　it　has　seen　Him；　it　has　heard　Him。　And　it　is
because　it　only　has　seen　and　heard　Him；　that　it　first　becomes　itself　spiritual　consciousness；（7）　or；　in
other　words；　He　has　now　arisen　in　Spirit；　as　He　formerly　rose　before　consciousness　as　an　object
existing　in　the　sphere　of　sense。　For；　a　consciousness　which　sees　and　hears　Him　by　sense；　is　one
which　is　itself　merely　an　immediate　consciousness；　which　has　not　cancelled　and　transcended　the
disparateness　of　objectivity；　has　not　withdrawn　it　into　pure　thought；　but　knows　this　objectively
presented　individual；　and　not　itself；　as　spirit。　In　the　disappearance　of　the　immediate　existence　of
what　is　known　to　be　Absolute　Being；　immediacy　acquires　its　negative　moment。　Spirit　remains　the
immediate　self　of　actual　reality；　but　in　the　form　of　the　universal　self…consciousness　of　a　religious
communion；（8）　a　self…consciousness　which　rests　in　its　own　proper　substance；　just　as　in　it　this
substance　is　universal　subject：　it　is　not　the　individual　subject　by　himself；　but　the　individual　along
with　the　consciousness　of　the　communion；　and　what　he　is　for　this　communion　is　the　complete
whole　of　the　individual　spirit。

The　conditions　〃past〃　and　〃distance〃　are；　however；　merely　the　imperfect　form　in　which　the
immediateness　gets　mediated　or　made　universal；　this　is　merely　dipped　superficially　in　the　element
of　thought；　is　kept　there　as　a　sensuous　mode　of　immediacy；　and　not　made　one　with　the　nature　of
thought　itself。　It　is　lifted　out　of　sense　merely　into　the　region　of　pictorial　presentation；　for　this　is　the
synthetic　＇external＇　connexion　of　sensuous　immediacy　and　its　universality　or　thought。

Pictorial　presentation　constitutes　the　characteristic　form　in　which　spirit　is　conscious　of　itself　in　this
its　religious　communion。　This　form　is　not　yet　the　self…consciousness　of　spirit　which　has　reached　its
notion　as　notion；　the　mediating　process　is　still　incomplete。　In　this　connexion　of　being　and　thought；
then；　there　is　a　defect；　spiritual　life　is　still　cumbered　with　an　unreconcited　diremption　into　a　〃here〃
and　a　〃beyond〃。　The　content　is　the　true　content；　but　all　its　moments；　when　placed　in　the　element　of
mere　imaginative　presentation；　have　the　character；　not　of　being　conceptually　comprehended；　but　of
appearing　as　completely　independent　aspects；　externally　related　to　one　another。

In　order　that　the　true　content　may　also　obtain　its　true　form　for　consciousness；　the　latter　must
necessarily　pass　to　a　higher　plane　of　mental　development；　where　the　absolute　Substance　is　not
intuitively　apprehended　but　conceptually　comprehended　and　where　consciousness　is　for　itself
brought　to　the　level　of　its　self…consciousness；…as　this　has　already　taken　place　objectively　or　for　us
＇who　have　analysed　the　process　of　experience＇。

We　have　to　consider　this　content　as　it　exists　in　its　consciousness。　Absolute　Spirit　is　content；　that　is
how　it　exists　in　the　shape　of　its　truth。　But　its　truth　consists　not　merely　in　being　the　substance　or　the
inherent　reality　of　the　religious　communion；　nor　again　in　coming　out　of　this　inwardness　into　the
objectivity　of　imaginative　thought；　but　in　becoming　concrete　actual　self；　reflecting　itself　into　self；
and　being　Subject。