phenomenology of mind-第50章

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time；　too；　when　mental　cultivation　is　universal；　and　has　elevated　culture　to　the　level　of　thought。　

Now　while　this　self…consciousness　finds　its　essential　reality　to　be　neither　something　other　than　itself；
nor　the　pure　abstraction　of　ego；　but　ego　which　has　within　it　otherness…otherness　in　the　sense　of　a
thought…constituted　distinction…so　that　this　ego　in　its　otherness　is　turned　back　directly　into　itself；　yet
this　essential　nature　is；　at　the　same　time；　only　an　abstract　reality。　The　freedom　of
self…consciousness　is　indifferent　towards　natural　existence；　and　has；　therefore；　let　this　latter　go　and
remain　free。　The　reflexion　is　thus　duplicated。　Freedom　of　thought　takes　only　pure　thought　as　its
truth；　and　this　lacks　the　concrete　filling　of　life。　It　is；　therefore；　merely　the　notion　of　freedom；　not
living　freedom　itself；　for　it　is；　to　begin　with；　only　thinking　in　general　that　is　its　essence；　the　form　as
such；　which　has　turned　away　from　the　independence　of　things　and　gone　back　into　itself。　Since；
however；　individuality　when　acting　should：　show　itself　to　be　alive；　or　when　thinking　should　grasp
the　living　world　as　a　system　of　thought；　there　ought　to　lie　in　thought　itself　a　content　to　supply　the
sphere　of　the　ego；　in　the　former　case　with　what　is　good；　and；　in　the　latter；　true；　in　order　that　there
should　throughout　be　no　other　ingredient　in　what　consciousness　has　to　deal　with；　except　the　notion
which　is　the　real　essence。　But　here；　by　the　way　in　which　the　notion　as　an　abstraction　cuts　itself　off
from　the　multiplicity　of　things；　the　notion　has　no　content　in　itself；　the　content　is　a　datum；　is　given。
Consciousness；　no　doubt；　abolishes　the　content　as　an　external；　a　foreign　existent；　by　the　fact　that　it
thinks　it；　but　the　notion　is　a　determinate　notion；　and　this　determinateness　of　the　notion　is　the　alien
element　the　notion　contains　within　it。　Stoicism；　therefore；　got　embarrassed；　when；　as　the
expression　went；　it　was　asked　for　the　criterion　of　truth　in　general；　i。e　properly　speaking；　for　a
content　of　thought　itself。　To　the　question；　what　is　good　and　true；　it　responded　by　giving　again　the
abstract；　contentless　thought；　the　true　and　good　are　to　consist　in　reasonableness。　But　this
self…identity　of　thought　is　simply　once　more　pure　form；　in　which　nothing　is　determinate。　The　general
terms　true　and　good；　wisdom　and　virtue；　with　which　Stoicism　has　to　stop　short；　are；　therefore；　in　a
general　way；　doubtless　elevating；　but　seeing　that　they　cannot　actually　and　in　fact　reach　any　expanse
of　content；　they　soon　begin　to　get　wearisome。　

This　thinking　consciousness；　in　the　way　in　which　it　is　thus　constituted；　as　abstract　freedom；　is
therefore　only　incomplete　negation　of　otherness。　Withdrawn　from　existence　solely　into　itself；　it　has
not　there　fully　vindicated　itself　as　the　absolute　negation　of　this　existence。　It　holds　the　coent　is　held
indeed　to　be　only　thought；　but　in　doing　so　also　takes　thought　as　a　specific　determinate　thought；　and
at　the　same　time　the　general　character　of　the　content。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Scepticism

Scepticism　is　the　realisation　of　that　of　which　Stoicism　is　merely　the　notion；　and　is　the　actual
experience　of　what　freedom　of　thought　is；　it　is　in　itself　and　essentially　the　negative；　and　must　so
exhibit　itself。　With　the　reflexion　of　self…consciousness　into　the　simple；　pure　thought　of　itself；
independent　existence　or　permanent　determinateness　has；　in　contrast　to　that　reflexion；　dropped　as
a　matter　of　fact　out　of　the　infinitude　of　thought。　In　Scepticism；　the　entire　unessentiality　and
unsubstantiality　of　this　〃other〃　becomes　a　reality　for　consciousness。　Thought　becomes　thinking
which　wholly　annihilates　the　being　of　the　world　with　its　manifold　determinateness；　and　the
negativity　of　free　self…consciousness　becomes　aware　of　attaining；　in　these　manifold　forms　which　life
assumes；　real　negativity。　

It　is　clear　from　the　foregoing　that；　just　as　Stoicism　answers　to　the　notion　of　independent
consciousness；　which　appeared　as　a　relation　of　lordship　and　bondage；　Scepticism；　on　its　side；
corresponds　to　its　realization；　to　the　negative　attitude　towards　otherness；　to　desire　and　labour。　But
if　desire　and　work　could　not　carry　out　for　self…consciousness　the　process　of　negation；　this
polemical　attitude　towards　the　manifold　substantiality　of　things　will；　on　the　other　hand；　be
successful；　because　it　turns　against　them　as　a　free　self…consciousness；　and　one　complete　within
itself　beforehand；　or；　expressed　more　definitely；　because　it　has　inherent　in　itself　thought　or　the
principle　of　infinitude　where　the　independent　elements　in　their　distinction　from　one　another　are　held
to　be　merelv　vanishing　quantities。　The　differences；　which；　in　the　pure　thinking　of　self　are　only　the
abstraction　of　differences；　become　here　the　whole　of　the　differences；　and　every　differentiated
existent　becomes　a　difference　of　self…consciousness。　

With　this　we　get　determined　the　action　of　Scepticism　in　general；　as　also　its　mode　and　nature。　It
shows　the　dialectic　movement；　which　is　sense…certainty；　perception；　and　understanding。　It　shows；
too；　the　unessentiality　of　that　which　holds　good　in　the　relation　of　master　and　servant；　and　which　for
abstract　thought　itself　passes　as　determinate。　That　relation　involves；　at　the　same　time；　a
determinate　situation；　in　which　there　are　found　even　moral　laws；　as　commands　of　the　sovereign
lord。　The　determinations　in　abstract　thought；　however；　are　scientific　notions；　into　which　formal
contentless　thought　expands　itself；　attaching　the　notion；　as　a　matter　of　fact　in　merely　an　external
fashion；　to　the　existence　independent　of　it；　and　holding　as　valid　only　determinate　notions；　albeit
they　are　still　pure　abstractions。　

Dialectic　as　a　negative　process；　taken　immediately　as　it　stands；　appears　to　consciousness；　in　the
first　instance；　as　something　at　the　mercy　of　which　it　is；　and　which　does　not　exist　through
consciousness　itself。　In　Scepticism；　on　the　other　hand；　this　negative　process　is　a　moment　of
self…consciousness；　which　does　not　simply　find　its　truth　and　its　reality　vanish；　without
self…consciousness　knowing　how；　but　rather　which；　in　the　certainty　of　its　own　freedom；　itself
makes　this　other；　so　claiming　to　be　real；　vanish。　Self…consciousness　here　not　only　makes　the
objective　as　such　to　disappear　before　the　negations　of　Scepticism　but　also　its　own　function　in
relation　to　the　object；　where　the　object　is　held　to　be　objective　and　made　good　—　i。e。　its　function　of
perceiving　as　also　its　process　of　securing　what　is　in　danger　of　being　lost；　viz。　sophistry　and　its
self…constituted　and　self…established　truth。　By　means　of　this　self…conscious　negation；
self…consciousness　procures　for　itself　the　certainty　of　its　own　freedom；　brings　about　the　experience
of　that　freedom；　and　thereby　raises　it　into　the　truth。　What　vanishes　is　what　is　determinate；　the
difference　which；　no　matter　what　its　nature　or　whence　it　comes；　sets　up　to　be　fixed　and
unchangeable。　The　difference　has　nothing　permanent　in　it；　and　must　vanish　before　thought　because
to　be　differentiated　just　means　not　to　have　being　in　itself；　but　to　have　its　essential　nature　solely　in　an
other。　Thinking；　however；　is　the　insight　into　this　character　of　what　is　differentiated；　it　is　the　negative
function　in　its　simple；　ultimate　form。　

Sceptical　self…consciousness　thus　discovers；　in　the　flux　and　alternation　of　all　that　would　stand
secure　in　its　presence；　its　own　freedom；　as　given　by　and　received　from　its　own　self。　It　is　aware　of
being　this　of　self…thinking　thought；　the　unalterable　and　genuine　certainty　of　its　self。　This　certainty
does　not　arise　as　a　result　out　of　something　extraneous　and　foreign　which　stowed　away　inside　itself
its　whole　complex　development；　a　result　which　would　thus　leave　behind　the　process　by　which　it
came　to　be。　Rather　consciousness　itself　is　thoroughgoing　dialectical　restlessness；　this　mêlée　of
presentations　derived　from　sense　and　thought；　whose　differences　collapse　into　oneness；　and
whose　identity　is　similarly　again　resolved　and　dissolved　—　for　this　identity　is　itself　determinateness
as　contrasted　with　non…identity。　This　consciousness；　however；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　instead　of　being
a　self…same　consciousness；　is　here　neithe