phenomenology of mind-第8章
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c。 Conscience： the 〃beautiful soul〃： Evil and the forgiveness of it
Translator's comments： The one…sidedness of each of the preceding stages is removed
when the moral consciousness assumes the attitude of Conscience。 Here the individual is
at once self…legislating and yet sure of the unity and self completeness of its own will in
the midst of all diversity of moral content。 The immediacy involved in the idea of a
〃self…legislating〃 will appears in the perceptual directness of the action of conscience： it
〃sees〃 what is right and does the right without hesitation。 But it is not an abstract 〃faculty〃
of willing independent of the varied content of the individual's moral experience。 The
universality of the individual permeates and pervades all the content of his being and
makes him a concrete moral individuality； at home with himself in the smallest detail as
well as in the larger issues of his self…complete spiritual existence。 Conscience； as Butler
says； is a 〃system〃 or 〃constitution〃； analogous in the case of the individual to the
objectified system of the state and its institutions。 The self…deception of the second
one…sided phase of moral experience seems also to have no place in Conscience； for
Conscience is the transparent and self…revealing unity in all the content of moral
individuality。 Only on this condition can it be absolutely confident and certain of itself in all
its functions； and this certainty of itself is the inalienable characteristic of conscience。 It
thinks it cannot be deceived about itself； can neither delude itself nor others； but freely
realizes all that it professes to be and professes to be all that it realizes； It is thus the
supreme achievement of finite spiritual existence； but it has no meaning apart from the
existence of finite spirit in the form of society。
Its very conditions； however； give rise to delusion and deception of another kind。 For； so
complete is its world and its life； that it may attempt to cut itself off from the concrete
substance of actual society which alone makes possible the existence of conscience。 It
then tries to cultivate goodness in solitary isolation from the actual social whole。 This is the
attitude of the 〃beautiful soul〃； a type of spiritual life cultivated by the 〃Moravians〃； and
familiar during the Romantic movement。 Novalis is the best…known example； the classical
interpretation of the mood was given in Goethe's Meister's Lehrjahre； Bk。 6。 It has the
self…confidence and individual inspiration of Conscience； but frankly rejects the concrete
objectivity which secures for Conscience liberation from mere subjectivity。 The very rejection
of objectivity is the only achievement of the 〃beautiful soul〃； and is held to be the greatest
triumph of its self…conscious freedom。 It flees from concrete moral action； and luxuriates
in a state of self…hypnotized inactivity。 Still it takes up this attitude in the interests of 〃pure
goodness〃； and hence in withdrawing from the lowly deeds of the daily moral life it
indulges all the more in the self…cloistered cult of the beauty of holiness。 It is moral
individualism turned into mystic self…absorption。 liegel's analysis brings out that this type
of spirit is in principle as it was in fact the direct ally of moral evil。 For （1） its refusal to act
means indifference to all action； good and bad alike； and the rejection of the demands of
duty is precisely immorality； （；2） its self…closed isolation destroys the very principle of true
morality； universality of will； recognition and acknowledgment by others of the claims of
the individual will。
But this extremity of finite spiritual experience is the opportunity of Absolute Spirit。 The
attitude of this mystical moral individuality is indirectly an indication of the finittude of the
moral point of view and therefore of its failure to supply the absolute self…completeness
which spirit requires。 The very consciousness by finite spirit of its inherent incompleteness
is implicitly a consciousness of the Absolute Spirit。 The consciousness of Absolute Spirit is
the attitude of experience known as Religion。
（CC）。 Religion
VII。 Religion in General
Translator's comments： The appearance of Absolute Spirit as a principle constituting on its
own account a distinctive stage of experience is at once a demand of the preceding
development and a condition of making experience self…complete。 Finite or socialized
spiritual existence is at its best incapable of establishing the truth that 〃Spirit is the only
reality〃； for the more finite spirit approximates to the state of claiming to be
self…contained the more is it dependent on universal self…consciousness。 A trans…finite or
Absolute Spiritual Being as such is thus necessary to realize and sustain the fullness of
meaning which finite spirit possesses。 Moreover； if 〃the truth is the whole〃； and only so is
truth self…complete and self…explaining； and if reality is essentially spiritual — then
experience only finds its complete meaning realized in the principle of Absolute Spirit。
Hence the final stage of the Phenomenology of experience is the appearance therein of
Absolute Spirit。 Moreover； Absolute Spirit； in its own distinctive existence； could only appear
at the end of the process of experience； for the whole of that process is required to reveal
and to constitute the substance of which the Absolute consists。 But the peculiarity of the
stage now reached is that here the Absolute operates in its undivided totality to form a
definite type of experience； or； in the language of the text； we have the Absolute here
〃conscious of its self〃。 No doubt； in all the previous stages； 〃consciousness〃；
〃self…consciousness〃； 〃reason〃； 〃spirit〃； the Absolute has been implied as a limiting
principle； at once substantiating and determining the boundaries of each stage： hence
each stage had an Absolute of its own； the character of which was derived in each case
from the peculiarity of the stage in question。 Now； however； we have the Absolute by itself；
in its single self…completeness； as the sole formative factor of a certain type of
experience。
The Absolute； then； in its own self…complete reality appears as the constitutive principle of
experience。 The experience here is the self…consciousness of Absolute Spirit； it appears to
itself in all its objects。 Since all the modes of finitude hitherto considered （consciousness；
self…consciousness； etc。） are embraced in its single totality； it may use each and all of
these various modes as the media through and in which to appear。 When it appears in
and through these modes of finitude we have the attitude of Religion。 Since these modes；
as we saw； differ； the religious attitude differs； and accordingly we have various types or
forms of religion。
Each of these forms； in and through which the Absolute appears； is circumscribed in its
nature and process； each is per se inadequate to the revelation of complete absolute
self…consciousness： hence the variety of religion is necessitated by and is indirectly due to
the failure of any one type and the inadequacy of every single type to reveal the Absolute
completely。 A form of appearance or self…manifestation of the absolute is therefore
demanded which will reveal Absolute Spirit adequately to itself as it essentially is in itself。
Here it will know itself； so t
