phenomenology of mind-第58章

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therefore；　now　a　universal　interest　in　the　world；　because　it　is　certain　of　its　presence　in　the　world；　or
is　certain　that　the　actual　present　is　rational。　It　seeks　its　〃other〃；　while　knowing　that　it　there
possesses　nothing　else　but　itself：　it　seeks　merely　its　own　infinitude。　

While；　at　first；　merely　surmising　that　it　is　in　the　world　of　reality；　or　knowing　this　only　in　a　general
way　to　be　its　own；　it　goes　forward　on　this　understanding　and　appropriates　everywhere　and　at　all
points　its　own　assured　possession。　It　plants　the　symbol　of　its　sovereignty　on　the　heights　and　in　the
depths　of　reality。　But　this　superficial　〃mine〃　is　not　its　final　and　supreme　interest。　The　joy　of　universal
appropriation　finds　still　in　its　property　the　alien　other　which　abstract　reason　does　not　contain　within
itself。　Reason　has　the　presentiment　of　being　a　deeper　reality　than　pure　ego　is；　and　must　demand
that　difference；　the　manifold　diversity　of　being；　should　itself　become　its　very　own；　that　the　ego
should　look　at　and　see　itself　as　concrete　reality；　and　find　itself　present　in　objectively　embodied
form　and　in　the　shape　of　a　〃thing〃。　But　if　reason　probes　and　gropes　through　the　inmost　recesses　of
the　life　of　things；　and　opens　their　every　vein　so　that　reason　itself　may　gush　out　of　them；　then　it　will
not　achieve　this　desired　result；　it　must；　for　its　purpose；　have　first　brought　about　in　itself　its　own
completion　in　order　to　be　able　after　that　to　experience　what　its　completion　means。　

Consciousness　〃observes〃；　i。e。　reason　wants　to　find　and　to　have　itself　in　the　form　of　existent
object；　to　be；　in　concrete　sensuously…present　form。　The　consciousness　thus　observing　fancies
（meint）；　and；　indeed；　says　that　it　wants　to　discover　not　itself；　but；　on　the　contrary；　the　inner　being
of　things　qua　things。　That　this　consciousness　〃means〃　this　and　says　so；　lies　in　the　fact　that　it　is
reason；　but　reason　as　such　is　for　it　not　as　yet　object。　

If　it　were　to　know　reason　to　be　equally　and　at　once　the　essence　of　things　and　of　itself；　and　knew
that　reason　can　only　be　actually　present　in　consciousness　in　the　form　and　shape　peculiarly
appropriate　to　reason；　then　it　would　descend　into　the　depths　of　its　own　being；　and　seek　reason
there　rather　than　in　things。　If　it　had　found　reason　there；　it　would　again　turn　from　that　and　be
directed　upon　concrete　reality；　in　order　to　see　therein　its　own　sensuous　expression；　but　would；　at
the　same　time；　take　that　sensuous　form　to　be　essentially　a　notion。　

Reason；　as　it　immediately　appears　in　the　form　of　conscious　certainty　of　being　all　reality；　takes　its
reality　in　the　sense　of　immediacy　of　being；　and　also　takes　the　unity　of　ego　with　this　objective
existence　in　the　sense　of　an　immediate　unity；　a　unity　in　which　it　（reason）　has　not　yet　separated　and
then　again　united　the　moment　of　being　and　ego；　or；　in　other　words；　a　unity　which　reason　has　not
yet　come　to　understand。　It；　therefore；　when　appearing　as　conscious　observation；　turns　to　things
with　the　idea　that　it　is　really　taking　them　as　sensuous　things　opposed　to　the　ego。　But　its　actual
procedure　contradicts　this　idea；　for　it　knows　things；　it　transforms　their　sensuous　character　into
conceptions；　i。e。　just　into　a　kind　of　being　which　at　the　same　time　is　ego；　it　transforms　thought　into
an　existent　thought；　or　being　into　a　thought…constituted　being；　and；　in　fact；　asserts　that　things　have
truth　merely　as　conceptions。　In　this　process；　it　is　only　what　the　things　are　that　consciousness　in
observation　becomes　aware　of；　we；　however　＇who　are　tracing　the　nature　of　this　experience＇；
become　aware　of　what　conscious　observation　itself　is。　The　outcome　of　its　process；　however；　will
be　that　this　consciousness　becomes　aware　of　being　for　itself　what　it　is　in　itself　＇i。e。　becomes　aware
of　being　to　itself　what；　in　the　meantime；　it　is　to　us＇。　

We　have　to　consider　the　operation　of　this　observational　phase　of　reason　in　all　the　various　moments
of　its　activity。　It　takes　up　this　attitude　towards　Nature；　Mind；　and　finally　towards　the　relation　of
both　in　the　form　of　sense…existence；　and　in　all　these　it　seeks　to　find　itself　as　a　definitely　existing
concrete　actuality。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　v。　p。　154　ff。　




a　（1）
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Observation　of　Nature

WHEN　the　unreflective　consciousness　speaks　of　observation　and　experience　as　being　the　fountain
of　truth；　the　phrase　may　possibly　sound　as　if　the　whole　business　were　a　matter　of　tasting；　smelling；
feeling；　hearing；　and　seeing。　It　forgets；　in　its　zeal　for　tasting；　smelling；　etc。；　to　say　that；　in　point　of
fact；　it　has　really　and　rationally　determined　for　itself　already　the　object　thus　sensuously
apprehended；　and　this　determination　of　the　object　is　at　least　as　important　for　it　as　that
apprehension。　It　will　also　as　readily　admit　that　its　whole　concern　is　not　simply　a　matter　of
perceiving；　and　will　not　allow；　e。g；。　the　perception　that　this　penknife　lies　beside　this　snuff…box　to
pass　for　an　〃observation〃。　What　is　perceived　should；　at　least；　have　the　significance　of　a　universal；
and　not　of　a　sensuous　particular　〃this〃。　

The　universal；　here　regarded；　is；　only　in　the　first　instance；　what　remains　identical　with　itself；　its
movement　is　merely　the　uniform　recurrence　of　the　same　operation。　The　consciousness；　which　thus
far　finds　in　the　object　merely　universality　or　the　abstract　〃mine〃；　must　take　upon　itself　the
movement　peculiar　to　the　object；　and；　since　it　is　not　yet　at　the　stage　of　understanding　that　object；　it
must；　at　least；　be　the　recollection　of　it；　a　recollection　which　expresses　in　a　universal　way　what；　in
actual　fact；　is　merely　present　in　a　particular　form。　This　superficial　way　of　educing　from　particularity；
and　the　equally　superficial　form　of　universality　into　which　the　sense　element　is　merely　taken　up；
without　the　sense　element　having　in　itself　become　a　universalthis　description　of　things　is　not　as　yet
a　process　effected　in　the　object　itself。　The　process　really　takes　place　solely　in　the　function　of
describing。　The　object　as　it　is　described　has　consequently　lost　interest；　when　one　object　is　being
described　another　must　be　taken　in　hand　and　ever　sought；　so　as　not　to　put　a　stop　to　the　process　of
description。　If　it　is　no　longer　easy　to　find　new　and　whole　things；　then　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to
turn　back　upon　those　already　found；　in　order　to　divide　them　still　further；　break　them　up　into
component　parts　and　look　out　for　any　new　aspects　of　thinghood　that　still　remain　in　them。　There
can　never　be　an　end　to　the　material　at　the　disposal　of　this　restlessly　active　instinct。　To　find　a　new
genus　of　distinctive　significance；　or　even　to　discover　a　new　planet；　which　although　an　individual
entity　yet　possesses　the　nature　of　a　universal；　can　only　fall　to　the　lot　of　those　who　are　lucky
enough。　But　the　boundary　line　of　what；　like　elephant；　oak；　gold；　is　markedly　distinctive；　the　line　of
demarcation　of　what　is　genus　and　species　passes　through　many　stages　into　the　endless
particularization　of　the　chaos　of　plants　and　animals；　kinds　of　rocks；　or　of　metals；　forms　of　earth；
etc。；　etc。；　that　only　force　and　craft　can　bring　to　light。　In　this　realm　where　universality　means
indeterminateness；　where　particularity　now　approximates　to　singleness；　and　again　at　this　point　and
that　even　descends　to　it　entirely；　there　is　offered　an　inexhaustible　supply　of　material　for　observation
and　description　to　deal　with。　Here；　where　a　boundless　field　is　opened　up；　at　the　boundary　line　of
the　universal　it　can　have　found　not　an　immeasurable　wealth；　but　instead；　merely　the　limitations　of
nature　and　of　its　own　operation。　It　can　no　longer　know　whether　what　seems　to　have　being　per　se
is　not　a　chance　accident。　What　bears　the　impress　of　a　confused　or　immature　feeble　structure；
barely　evolving　from　the　stage　of　elementary　indeterminateness；　cannot　claim　even　to　be
described。　

While　this　seeking　and　describing　seem　to　be　concerned　merely　with　things；　we　see　that　in　point　of
fact　it　does　not　continue　in　the　form　of　sense…perception。　Rather；　what　enables　things　to　be　known
is　more　important　for　description　than　the　range　of　sense　properties　still　left　over；　qualities　which；
of　course；　the　thing　itself　cannot　do　without；　but　which　consciousn