phenomenology of mind-第78章

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a　pure　movement　and　a　universal。　This　free；　self…complete　process　retains　the　significance　of
something　objective；　but　now　appears　as　a　unit。　In　the　process　of　the　inorganic　the　unit　is　the　inner
with　no　existence。　When　the　process　does　have　existence　qua　unit；　as　one　and　single；　it　is　an
organism。

The　unit　qua　self…existent　or　negative　entity　stands　in　antithesis　to　the　universal；　throws　off　its
control；　and　remains　independent　by　itself；　so　that　the　notion；　being　only　realized　in　the　condition　of
absolute　dissociation；　fails　to　find　in　organic　existence　its　genuine　expression；　in　the　sense　that　it　is
not　there；　in　the　form　of　a　universal；　it　remains　an　〃outer〃；　or；　what　is　the　same　thing；　an　〃inner〃　of
organic　nature。

The　organic　process　is　merely　free　implicitly　（an　sich）；　it　is　not　so　explicitly；　〃for　itself〃　（für　sich）。
The　explicit　phase　of　its　freedom　appears　in　the　idea　of　purpose；　has　existence　as　another　inner
nature　as　a　self…directing　wisdom　that　lies　outside　that　mere　process。　Reason's　function　of
observation　thus　turns　its　attention　to　this　wisdom；　to　mind；　to　the　notion　actually　existing　as
universality；　or　to　the　purpose　existing　in　the　form　of　purpose；　and　what　constitutes　its　own
essential　nature　is　now　the　object　before　it。

Reason　here　in　the　activity　of　observation　is　directed　first　to　the　pure　abstract　form　of　its　essential
nature。　But　since　reason；　in　its　apprehension　of　the　object　thus　working　and　moving　amidst　its　own
distinctions　takes　this　object　as　something　that　exists；　observation　becomes　aware　of　laws　of
thought；　relations　of　one　constant　factor　to　another　constant　factor。　The　content　of　these　laws
being；　however；　merely　moments；　they　run　together　into　the　single　one　of　self…consciousness。

This　new　object；　taken　in　the　same　way　as　existent；　is　the　contingent　individual　self…consciousness。
The　process　of　observation；　therefore；　keeps　within　the　〃conjectured〃　meaning　of　mind；　and　within
the　contingent　relation　of　conscious　to　unconscious　reality。　Mind　alone　in　itself　is　the　necessity　of
this　relation。　Observation；　therefore；　attacks　it　at　closer　quarters；　and　compares　its　realization
through　will　and　action　with　its　reality　when　it　contemplates　and　is　reflected　into　itself；　a　reality
which　is　itself　objective。　This　external　aspect；　although　an　utterance　of　the　individual　which　he
himself　contains；　is　at　the　same　time；　qua　symbol；　something　indifferent　to　the　content　which　it　is
intended　to　denote；　just　as　what　finds　for　itself　the　symbol　is　indifferent　to　this　symbol。

For　this　reason；　observation　finally　passes　from　this　variable　form　of　utterance　back　to　the
permanent　fixed　being；　and　in　principle　declares　that　externality　is　the　outer　immediate　reality　of
mind；　not　in　the　sense　of　an　organ；　and　not　like　a　language　or　a　symbol；　but　in　the　sense　of　a
lifeless　thing。　What　the　very　first　form　of　observation　of　inorganic　nature　did　away　with　and
superseded；　viz。　the　idea　that　the　notion　should　appear　in　the　shape　of　a　thing；　this　last　form　of
observation　reinstates　so　as　to　turn　the　reality　of　mind　itself　into　a　thing；　or　expressing　it　the　other
way　about；　so　as　to　give　lifeless　being　the　significance　of　mind。

Observation　has　thus　reached　the　point　of　explicitly　expressing　what　our　notion　of　observation　was
at　the　outset；　viz。　that　rational　certainty　means　objectivity　of　reason；　that　the　certainty　of　reason
seeks　itself　as　an　objective　reality。

One　does　not；　indeed；　suppose　that　mind；　which　is　represented　by　a　skull；　is　defined　as　a　thing。
There　is　not　meant　to　be　any　materialism；　as　it　is　called；　in　this　idea；　mind　rather　must　be　something
very　different　from　these　bones　of　the　skull。　But　that　mind　is；　means　nothing　else　than　that　it　is　a
thing。　When　being　as　such；　or　thingness；　is　predicated　of　the　mind；　the　true　and　genuine
expression　for　this　is；　therefore；　that　mind　is　such　an　entity　as　a　bone　is。　Hence　it　must　be
considered　as　supremely　important　that　the　true　expression　has　been　found　for　the　bare　statement
regarding　mind　—　that　it　is。　When　the　statement　is　ever　made　about　mind；　that　it　is；　has　a　being；　is
a　thing；　an　individual　reality；　we　do　not　mean　it　is　something　we　can　see；　or　knock　about；　or　take
in　our　hands；　and　so　on；　but　that　is　what　we　say；　and　what　the　statement　really　amounts　to　is
consequently　conveyed　in　the　expression　that　the　existence　of　mind　is　a　bone。

This　result　has　now　a　twofold　significance：　one　is　its　true　meaning；　in　so　far　as　the　result　is　a
completion　of　the　outcome　of　the　preceding　movement　of　self…consciousness。　The　unhappy
self…consciousness　renounced　its　independence；　and　wrested　its　distinctive　self…existence　out　into
the　shape　of　a　thing。　By　doing　so；　it　left　the　level　of　self…consciousness　and　reverted　to　the
condition　of　mere　consciousness；　i。e。　to　that　phase　of　conscious　life　for　which　the　object　is　an
existent；　a　thing。　But　what　is　〃thing〃　in　this　case　is　self…consciousness；　〃thing〃　here　is　the　unity　of
ego　and　being　—　the　Category。　When　the　object　before　consciousness　is　determined　thus；
consciousness　possesses　reason。　Consciousness；　as　well　as　self…consciousness；　is　in　itself　properly
reason　in　an　implicit　form；　but　only　that　consciousness　can　be　said　to　have　reason　whose　object
has　the　character　of　being　the　category。　From　this；　however；　we　must　still　distinguish　the
knowledge　of　what　reason　is。

The　category；　which　is　the　immediate　unity　of　being　and　self　（Seyn　und　Seinen）；　must　traverse　both
forms；　and　the　conscious　attitude　of　observation　is　just　where　the　category　is　set　forth　in　the　form
of　being。　In　its　result；　consciousness　expresses　that；　whose　unconscious　implicit　certainty　it　is；　in
the　shape　of　a　proposition　—　the　proposition　which　lies　in　the　very　notion　of　reason。　This
proposition　is　the　infinite　judgment　that　the　self　is　a　thing　—　a　judgment　that　cancels　and　transcends
itself。

Through　this　result；　then；　the　category　gets　the　added　characteristic　of　being　this　self…cancelling
opposition。　The　〃pure〃　category；　which　is　present　to　consciousness　in　the　form　of　being　or
immediacy；　is　still　an　unmediated；　a　merely　given　object；　and　the　attitude　of　consciousness　is　also
direct；　has　no　mediation　in　it。　That　infinite　judgment　is　the　moment　which　is　the　transition　of
immediacy　into　mediation　or　negativity。　The　given　present　object　is　therefore　characterized　as　a
negative　object　while　consciousness　in　its　relation　towards　it　assumes　the　form　of
self…consciousness；　or　the　category；　which　traversed　the　form　of　being　in　the　process　of
observation；　is　now　set　up　in　the　form　of　self…existence。　Consciousness　no　longer　seeks　to　find
itself　immediately；　but　to　produce　itself　by　its　own　activity。　Consciousness　itself　is　the　purpose　and
end　of　its　own　action；　as　in　the　process　of　observation　it　had　to　do　merely　with　things。

The　other　meaning　of　the　result　is　the　one　already　considered；　that　of　unsystematic　（begrifflos）
observation。　This　has　no　other　way　of　understanding　and　expressing　itself　than　by　declaring　the
reality　of　self…consciousness　to　consist　in　the　skull…bone；　just　as　it　appears　in　the　form　of　a　thing　of
sense；　still　retaining　its　character　as　an　object　for　consciousness。　In　stating　this；　however；　it　has　no
clear　consciousness　as　to　what　the　statement　involves；　and　does　not　grasp　the　determinate
character　of　the　subject　and　predicate　in　the　proposition　and　of　their　relation　to　one　another；　still
less　does　it　grasp　the　proposition　in　the　sense　of　a　self…resolving　infinite　judgment　and　a　notion。
Rather；　in　virtue　of　a　deeper…lying　self…consciousness　of　mind；　which　has　the　appearance　here　of
being　an　innate　decency　and　honesty　of　nature；　it　conceals　from　itself　the　ignominiousness　of　such
an　irrational　crude　thought　a　that　of　taking　a　bone　for　the　reality　of　self…consciousness；　and　the　very
senselessness　of　introducing　all　sorts　of　relations　of　cause　and　effect；　symbol〃；　〃organ〃；　etc。；　which
are　perfectly　meaningless　here；　and　of　hiding　away　the　glaring　folly　of　the　proposition　behind
distinctions　derived　from　them　—　all　this　puts　a　gloss　on　that　thought　and　whitewashes　its　naked
absurdity。

Brain…fibres　and　the　like；　looked　at　as　forms　of　the　bei