phenomenology of mind-第167章

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This　universality　appears；　in　contrast　to　the　absolute　determinateness　of　the　abstract　unit…the
principle　of　number…as　indeterminateness　in　relation　to　number　as　such；　so　that　in　this　connexion
we　can　speak　only　of　numbers　in　general；　i。e。　not　of　a　specific　number　of　distinctions。　Hence；　in
general；　it　is　here　quite　superfluous　to　think　of　number　and　counting；　just　as；　in　other　connexions；
the　bare　difference　of　magnitude　and　multitude　says　nothing　at　all　and　falls　outside　conceptual
thought。

Good　and　Evil　were　the　specific　distinctions　of　thought　which　we　found。　Since　their　opposition　is
not　yet　broken　down；　and　they　are　represented　as　essential　realities　of　thought；　each　of　them
independent　by　itself；　man　is　the　self　with　no　essential　reality　of　his　own　and　the　mere　ground　which
couples　them　together；　and　on　which　they　exist　and　war　with　one　another。　But　these　universal
powers　of　good　and　evil　belong　all　the　same　to　the　self；　or　the　self　is　their　actuality。　From　this　point
of　view　it　thus　comes　about　that；　as　evil　is　nothing　else　than　the　self…concentration　of　the　natural
existence　of　spirit；　conversely；　good　enters　into　actual　reality　and　appears　as　an　（objectively）
existing　self…consciousness。　That　which；　when　Spirit　is　interpreted　in　terms　of　pure　thought；　is　in
general　merely　hinted　at　as　the　Divine　Being's　transition　into　otherness；　here；　for　figurative　thinking；
comes　nearer　its　realization：　the　realization　is　taken　to　consist　in　the　Divine　Being　〃humbling〃　Itself；
and　renouncing　its　abstract　nature　and　unreality。　The　other　aspect；　that　of　evil；　is　taken　by
imagination　as　an　event　extraneous　and　alien　to　the　Divine　Being：　to　grasp　evil　in　the　Divine　Being
itself　as　the　wrath　of　God…that　is　the　supreme　effort；　the　severest　strain；　of　which　figurative　thought；
wrestling　with　its　own　limitations；　is　capable；　an　effort　which；　since　it　is　devoid　of　the　notion；
remains　a　fruitless　struggle。

The　alienation　of　the　Divine　Nature　is　thus　set　up　in　its　double…sided　form：　the　self　of　Spirit；　and　its
simple　thought；　are　the　two　moments　whose　absolute　unity　is　Spirit　itself。　Its　alienation　with　itself
consists　in　the　two　falling　apart　from　each　other；　and　in　the　one　having　an　unequal　value　as　against
the　other。　This　disparateness　is；　therefore；　twofold　in　character；　and　two　connexions　arise；　which
have　in　common　the　moments　just　given。　In　the　one；　the　Divine　Being　stands　for　what　is　essential；
while　natural　existence　and　the　self　are　unessential　and　are　to　be　cancelled。　In　the　other；　on　the
contrary；　it　is　self…existence　which　passes　for　what　is　essential　and　the　simply　Divine　for
unessential。　Their　mediating；　though　still　empty；　ground　is　existence　in　general；　the　bare　community
of　their　two　moments。

The　dissolution　of　this　opposition　does　not　take　effect　through　the　struggle　between　the　two
elements；　which　are　pictured　as　separate　and　independent　Beings。　Just　in　virtue　of　their
independence　each　must　inherently；　through　its　own　notion；　dissolve　itself　in　itself。　The　struggle
only　takes　place　where　both　cease　to　be　this　mixture　of　thought　and　independent　existence；　and
confront　each　other　merely　as　thoughts。　For　there；　being　determinate　notions；　they　essentially　exist
merely　in　the　relation　of　opposition；　qua　independent；　on　the　other　hand；　they　have　their　essential
nature　outside　their　opposition；　their　movement　is　thus　free；　self…determined；　and　peculiar　to
themselves。　If；　then；　we　consider　the　movement　of　both　as　it　is　in　themselves　—　i。e。　as　it　is
essentially　—　their　movement　starts　only　in　that　one　of　the　two　which　has　the　character　of　being
inherently　essential　as　contrasted　with　the　other。　This　is　pictured　as　a　spontaneous　action；　but　the
necessity　for　its　self…abandonment　lies　in　the　notion　that　what　is　inherently　essential；　and　gets　this
specific　character　merely　through　opposition；　has　just　on　that　account　no　real　independent
subsistence。　Therefore　that　element　which　has　for　its　essence；　not　independent　self…existence；　but
simple　being；　is　what　empties　and　abandons　itself；　gives　itself　unto　death；　and　so　reconciles
Absolute　Being　with　its　own　self。　For　in　this　process　it　manifests　itself　as　spirit：　the　abstract　Being　is
estranged　from　itself；　it　has　natural　existence　and　the　reality　of　an　actual　self。　This　its　otherness；　or
its　being　sensuously　present；　is　taken　back　again　by　the　second　process　of　becoming　〃other〃；　and
is　affirmed　as　superseded；　as　universal。　Thereby　the　Divine　Being　has　come　to　itself　in　the　sphere
of　the　sensuous　present；　the　immediate　existence　of　actual　reality　has　ceased　to　be　something　alien
or　external　to　the　Divine；　by　being　sublated；　universal：　this　death　（of　immediacy）　is　therefore　its
rising　anew　as　spirit。　When　the　self…conscious　Being　cancels　and　transcends　its　immediate　present；
it　is　as　universal　self…consciousness。　This　notion　of　the　transcended　individual　self　which　is
Absolute　Being；　immediately　expresses　therefore　the　establishment　of　a　communion　which；　while
hitherto　having　its　abode　in　the　sphere　of　pictorial　thought；　now　returns　into　itself　as　the　Self：　and
Spirit　thus　passes　from　the　second　element　constituting　it；　—　figurative　thought　—　and　goes　over　to
the　third…self…consciousness　as　such。

If　we　further　consider　the　kind　of　procedure　that　pictorial　thinking　adopts　as　it　goes　along；　we　find
in　the　first　place　the　expression　that　the　Divine　Being　〃takes　on〃　human　nature。　Here　it　is　eo　ipso
asserted　that　implicitly　and　inherently　the　two　are　not　separate：　just　as　in　the　statement；　that　the
Divine　Being　from　the　beginning　empties　Itself　of　Itself；　that　its　objective　existence　becomes
concentrated　in　Itself　and　becomes　evil；　it　is　not　asserted　but　implied　that　per　se　this　evil　existence
is　not　something　alien　to　the　Divine　nature。　Absolute　Being　would　be　merely　an　empty　name　if　in
very　truth　there　were　any　other　being　external　to　it；　if　there　were　a　〃fall〃'　from　it。　The　aspect　of
self…concentration　really　constitutes　the　essential　moment　of　the　self　of　Spirit。

That　this　self…centredness；　whence　primarily　comes　its　reality；　belongs　to　the　Divine　Being　—　while
this　is　for　us　a　notion；　and　so　as　far　as　it　is　a　notion；　—　appears　to　pictorial　thinking　as　an
inconceivable　happening。　The　inherent　and　essential　nature　assumes　for　figurative　thought　the　form
of　an　indifferent　objective　fact。　The　thought；　however；　that　those　apparently　mutually　repugnant
moments；　absolute　Being　and　self…existent　Self；　are　not　inseparable；　comes　also　before　this
figurative　way　of　thinking　（since　it　does　possess　the　real　content）；　but　that　thought　appears
afterwards；　in　the　form　that　the　Divine　Being　empties　Itself　of　Itself　and　is　made　flesh。　This
figurative　idea；　which　in　this　manner　is　still　immediate　and　hence　not　spiritual；　i。e。　it　knows　the
human　form　assumed　by　the　Divine　as　merely　a　particular　form；　not　yet　as　a　universal　form　—
becomes　spiritual　for　this　consciousness　in　the　process　whereby　God；　who　has　assumed　shape
and　form；　surrenders　again　His　immediate　existence；　and　returns　to　His　essential　Being。　The
essential　Being　is　then　Spirit　only　when　it　is　reflected　into　itself。

The　reconciliation　of　the　Divine　Being　with　its　other　as　a　whole；　and；　specifically；　with　the　thought
of　this　other…evil　—　is　thus　presented　here；　in　a　figurative　way。　If　this　reconciliation　is　expressed
conceptually；　by　saying　it　consists　in　the　fact　that　evil　is　inherently　the　same　as　what　goodness　is；
or　again　that　the　Divine　Being　is　the　same　as　nature　in　its　entire　extent；　just　as　nature　separated
from　God　is　simply　nothingness；　—　then　this　must　be　looked　at　as　an　unspiritual　mode　of
expression　which　is　bound　to　give　rise　to　misunderstandings。　When　evil　is　the　same　as　goodness；
then　evil　is　just　not　evil　nor　goodness　good；　on　the　contrary；　both　are　really　done　away　with　—　evil
in　general；　self…centred　self…existence；　and　goodness；　self…less　simplicity。　Since　in　this　way　they　are
both　expressed　in　terms　of　their　notion；　the　unity　of　the　two　is　at　once　apparent；　for　self…centred
self…existence　is　simple　knowledge；　and　what　is　self…less　simplicity　is　similarly　pure　self…existence
centred　within　itself。　Hence；　if　it　must　be　said　that