phenomenology of mind-第174章

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substantiality　and　objectivity；　as　if　it　were　afraid　of　relinquishing　or　externalizing　itself。　The　power
of　spirit　lies　rather　in　remaining　one　with　itself　when　giving　up　itself；　and；　because　it　is
self…contained　and　self…subsistent；　in　establishing　as　mere　moments　its　explicit　self…existence　as　well
as　its　implicit　inherent　nature。　Nor　again　is　Ego　a　tertium　quid　which　casts　distinctions　back　into
the　abyss　of　the　Absolute；　and　declares　them　all　to　mean　the　same　there。　On　the　contrary；　true
knowledge　lies　rather　in　the　seeming　inactivity　which　merely　watches　how　what　is　distinguished　is
self…moved　by　its　very　nature　and　returns　again　into　its　own　unity。

With　absolute　knowledge；　then；　Spirit　has　wound　up　the　process　of　its　embodiment；　so　far　as　the
assumption　of　those　various　shapes　or　modes　is　affected　with　the　insurmountable　distinction　which
consciousness　implies　＇i。e。　the　distinction　of　consciousness　from　its　object　or　content＇。　Spirit　has
attained　the　pure　element　of　its　existence；　the　notion。　The　content　is；　in　view　of　the　freedom　of　its
own　existence；　the　self　that　empties　（externalizes）　itself；　in　other　words；　that　content　is　the
immediate　unity　of　self…knowledge。　The　pure　process　of　thus　externalizing　itself　constitutes　—
when　we　consider　this　process　in　its　content　—　the　necessity　of　this　content。　The　diversity　of
content　is；　qua　determinate；　due　to　relation；　and　is　not　inherent；　and　its　restless　activity　consists　in
cancelling　and　superseding　itself；　or　is　negativity。　Thus　the　necessity　or　diversity；　like　its　free
existence；　is　the　self　too；　and　in　this　self…form；　in　which　existence　is　immediately　thought；　the
content　is　a　notion。　Seeing；　then；　that　Spirit　has　attained　the　notion；　it　unfolds　its　existence　and
develops　its　processes　in　this　ether　of　its　life　and　is　（Philosophical）　Science。（9）　The　moments　of　its
process　are　set　forth　therein　no　longer　as　determinate　modes　or　shapes　of　consciousness；　but　—
since　the　distinction；　which　consciousness　implies；　has　reverted　to　and　has　become　a　distinction
within　the　self　—　as　determinate　notions；　and　as　the　organic　self…explaining　and　self…constituted
process　of　these　notions。　While　in　the　Phenomenology　of　Mind　each　moment　is　the　distinction　of
knowledge　and　truth；　and　is　the　process　in　which　that　distinction　is　canceled　and　transcended；
Absolute　Knowledge　does　not　contain　this　distinction　and　supersession　of　distinction。　Rather；
since　each　moment　has　the　form　of　the　notion；　it　unites　the　objective　form　of　truth　and　the　knowing
self　in　an　immediate　unity。　Each　individual　moment　does　not　appear　as　the　process　of　passing　back
and　forward　from　consciousness　or　figurative　（imaginative）　thought　to　self…consciousness　and
conversely：　on　the　contrary；　the　pure　shape；　liberated　from　the　condition　of　being　an　appearance　in
mere　consciousness；　—　the　pure　notion　with　its　further　development；　—　depends　solely　on　its　pure
characteristic　nature。　Conversely；　again；　there　corresponds　to　every　abstract　moment　of　Absolute
Knowledge　a　mode　in　which　mind　as　a　whole　makes　its　appearance。　As　the　mind　that　actually
exists　is　not　richer　than　it；（10）　so；　too；　mind　in　its　actual　content　is　not　poorer。　To　know　the　pure
notions　of　knowledge　in　the　form　in　which　they　are　modes　or　shapes　of　consciousness　—　this
constitutes　the　aspect　of　their　reality；　according　to　which　their　essential　element；　the　notion；
appearing　there　in　its　simple　mediating　activity　as　thinking；　breaks　up　and　separates　the　moments
of　this　mediation　and　exhibits　them　to　itself　in　accordance　with　their　immanent　opposition。

Absolute　Knowledge　contains　within　itself　this　necessity　of　relinquishing　itself　from　notion；　and
necessarily　involves　the　transition　of　the　notion　into　consciousness。　For　Spirit　that　knows　itself　is；
just　for　the　reason　that　it　grasps　its　own　notion；　immediate　identity　with　itself；　and　this；　in　the
distinction　that　it　implies；　is　the　certainty　of　what　is　immediate　or　is　sense…consciousness　—　the
beginning　from　which　we　started。　This　process　of　releasing　itself　from　the　form　of　its　self　is　the
highest　freedom　and　security　of　its　knowledge　of　itself。

All　the　same；　this　relinquishment　（externalization）　of　self　is　still　incomplete。　This　process　expresses
the　relation　of　the　certainty　of　its　self　to　the　object；　an　object　which；　just　by　being　in　a　relation；　has
not　yet　attained　its　full　freedom。　Knowledge　is　aware　not　only　of　itself；　but　also　of　the　negative　of
itself；　or　its　limit。　Knowing　its　limit　means　knowing　how　to　sacrifice　itself。　This　sacrifice　is　the
self…abandonment；　in　which　Spirit　sets　forth；　in　the　form　of　free　fortuitous　happening；　its　process　of
becoming　Spirit；　intuitively　apprehending　outside　it　its　pure　self　as　Time；　and　likewise　its　existence
as　Space。（11）　This　last　form　into　which　Spirit　passes；　Nature；　is　its　living　immediate　process　of
development。　Nature…Spirit　divested　of　self　（externalized）　—　is；　in　its　actual　existence；　nothing　but
this　eternal　process　of　abandoning　its　（Nature's）　own　independent　subsistence；　and　the　movement
which　reinstates　Subject。

The　other　aspect；　however；　in　which　Spirit　comes　into　being；　History；　is　the　process　of　becoming
in　terms　of　knowledge；　a　conscious　self…mediating　process　—　Spirit　externalized　and　emptied　into
Time。　But　this　form　of　abandonment　is；　similarly；　the　emptying　of　itself　by　itself；　the　negative　is
negative　of　itself。　This　way　of　becoming　presents　a　slow　procession　and　succession　of　spiritual
shapes　（Geistern）；　a　gallery　of　pictures；　each　of　which　is　endowed　with　the　entire　wealth　of　Spirit；
and　moves　so　slowly　just　for　the　reason　that　the　self　has　to　permeate　and　assimilate　all　this　wealth
of　its　substance。　Since　its　accomplishment　consists　in　Spirit　knowing　what　it　is；　in　fully
comprehending　its　substance；　this　knowledge　means　its　concentrating　itself　on　itself　（Insichgehen）；
a　state　in　which　Spirit　leaves　its　external　existence　behind　and　gives　its　embodiment　over　to
Recollection　（Erinnerung）。　In　thus　concentrating　itself　on　itself；　Spirit　is　engulfed　in　the　night　of　its
own　self…consciousness；　its　vanished　existence　is；　however；　conserved　therein；　and　this
superseded　existence　—　the　previous　state；　but　born　anew　from　the　womb　of　knowledge　—　is　the
new　stage　of　existence；　a　new　world；　and　a　new　embodiment　or　mode　of　Spirit。　Here　it　has　to
begin　all　over　again　at　its　immediacy；（12）　as　freshly　as　before；　and　thence　rise　once　more　to　the
measure　of　its　stature；　as　if　；　for　it；　all　that　preceded　were　lost；　and　as　if　it　had　learned　nothing　from
the　experience　of　the　spirits　that　preceded。　But　re…collection　（Er…　innerung）　has　conserved　that
experience。　and　is　the　inner　being；　and；　in　fact；　the　higher　form　of　the　substance。　While；　then；　this
phase　of　Spirit　begins　all　over　again　its　formative　development；　apparently　starting　solely　from
itself；　yet　at　the　same　time　it　commences　at　a　higher　level。　The　realm　of　spirits　developed　in　this
way；　and　assuming　definite　shape　in　existence；　constitutes　a　succession；　where　one　detaches　and
sets　loose　the　other；　and　each　takes　over　from　its　predecessor　the　empire　of　the　spiritual　world。
The　goal　of　the　process　is　the　revelation　of　the　depth　of　spiritual　life；　and　this　is　the　Absolute
Notion。　This　revelation　consequently　means　superseding　its　〃depth〃；　is　its　〃extension〃　or　spatial
embodiment；　the　negation　of　this　inwardly　self…centred　（insichseiend）　ego　—　a　negativity　which　is
its　self…relinquishment；　its　externalization；　or　its　substance：　and　this　revelation　is　also　its　temporal
embodiment；　in　that　this　externalization　in　its　very　nature　relinquishes　（externalizes）　itself；　and　so
exists　at　once　in　its　spatial　extension〃　as　well　as　in　its　〃depth〃　or　the　self。　The　goal；　which　is
Absolute　Knowledge　or　Spirit　knowing　itself　as　Spirit；　finds　its　pathway　in　the　recollection　of
spiritual　forms　（Geister）　as　they　are　in　themselves　and　as　they　accomplish　the　organization　of　their
spiritual　kingdom。　Their　conservation；　looked　at　from　the　side　of　their　free　existence　appearing　in
the　form　of　contingency；　is　History；　looked　at　from　the　side　of　their　intellectually　comprehended
organization；　it　is　the　Science　of　the　ways　in　which　knowle