phenomenology of mind-第140节

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universal　entities　are　concerned；　and　which；　to　begin　with；　seems　to　unite　in　a　merely　accidental
way　all　that　they　variously　accomplish。　But　it　is　the　return　of　the　divine　Being　to　self…consciousness
which　already　contains　the　reason　that　self…consciousness　forms　the　centre　for　those　divine　forces；
and　conceals　their　essential　unity　in　the　first　instance　under　the　guise　of　a　friendly　external　relation
between　both　worlds。

The　same　universality；　which　belongs　to　this　content；　attaches　necessarily　also　to　that　form　of
consciousness　in　which　the　content　appears。　It　is　no　longer　the　concrete　acts　of　the　cult；　it　is　an
action　which　is　not　indeed　raised　as　yet　to　the　level　of　the　notion；　but　only　to　that　of　ideas；　the
synthetic　connexion　of　self…conscious　and　external　existence。　The　element　in　which　these　presented
ideas　exist；　language；　is　the　earliest　language；　the　Epic　as　such。；　which　contains　the　universal
content；　at　any　rate　universal　in　the　sense　of　completeness　of　the　world　presented；　though　not　in
the　sense　of　universality　of　thought。　The　Minstrel　is　the　individual　and　actual　spirit　from　whom；　as　a
subject　of　this　world；　it　is　produced；　and　by　whom　it　is　borne。　His　〃pathos〃　is　not　the　deafening
power　of　nature；　but　Mnemosyne；　Recollection；　a　gradually　evolved　inwardness；　the　memory　of
an　essential　mode　of　being　once　directly　present。　He　is　the　organ　and　instrument　whose　content　is
passing　away；　it　is　not　his　own　self　which　is　of　any　account；　but　his　muse；　his　universal　song。　What；
however；　is　present　in　fact；　has　the　form　of　an　inferential　process；　where　the　one　extreme　of
universality；　the　world　of　gods；　is　connected　with　individuality；　the　minstrel；　through　the　middle
term　of　particularity。　The　middle　term　is　the　nation　in　its　heroes；　who　are　individual　men　like　the
minstrel；　but　only　ideally　presented；　and　thereby　at　the　same　time　universal　like　the　free　extreme　of
universality；　the　gods。

In　this　Epic；　then；　what　is　inherently　established　in　the　cult；　the　relation　of　the　divine　to　the　human；
is　set　forth　and　displayed　as　a　whole　to　consciousness。　The　content　is　an　〃act〃（2）　of　the　essential
Being　conscious　of　itself。　Acting　disturbs　the　peace　of　the　substance；　and　awakens　the　essential
Being；　and　by　so　doing　its　simple　unity　is　divided　into　parts；　and　opened　up　into　the　manifold　world
of　natural　powers　and　ethical　forces。　The　act　is　the　violation　of　the　peaceful　earth；　it　is　the　trench
which；　vivified　by　the　blood　of　the　living；　calls　forth　the　spirits　of　the　departed；　who　are　thirsting　for
life；　and　who　receive　it　in　the　action　of　self…consciousness。（3）　There　are　two　sides　to　the　business
the　universal　activity　is　concerned　to　accomplish：　the　side　of　the　self…in　virtue　of　which　it　is　brought
about　by　a　collection　of　actual　nations　with　the　prominent　individualities　at　the　head　of　them；　and
the　side　of　the　universal　—　in　virtue　of　which　it　is　brought　about　by　their　substantial　forces。　The
relation　of　the　two；　however；　took；　as　we　saw　just　now；　the　character　of　being　the　synthetic
connexion　of　universal　and　individual；　i。e。　of　being　a　process　of　ideal　presentation。　On　this　specific
character　depends　the　judgment　regarding　this　world。

The　relation　of　the　two　is；　by　this　means；　a　commingling　of　both；　which　illogically　divides　the　unity
of　the　action；　and　in　a　needless　fashion　throws　the　act　from　one　side　over　to　the　other。　The
universal　powers　have　the　form　of　individual　beings；　and　thus　have　in　them　the　principle　from　which
action　comes；　when　they　effect　anything；　therefore；　this　seems　to　proceed　as　entirely　from　them
and　to　be　as　free　as　in　the　case　of　men。　Hence　both　gods　and　men　have　done　one　and　the　same
thing。　The　seriousness　with　which　those　divine　powers　go　to　work　is　ridiculously　unnecessary；
since　they　are　in　point　of　fact　the　moving　force　of　the　individualities　engaged　in　the　acts；　while　the
strain　and　toil　of　the　latter　again　is　an　equally　useless　effort；　since　the　former　direct　and　manage
everything。　Overzealous　mortal　creatures；　who　are　as　nothing；　are　at　the　same　time　the　mighty　self
that　brings　into　subjection　the　universal　beings；　offends　the　gods；　and　procures　for　them　actual
reality　and　an　interest　in　acting。　Just　as；　conversely；　these　powerless　gods；　these　impotent　universal
beings；　who　procure　their　sustenance　from　the　gifts　of　men　and　through　men　first　get　something　to
do；　are　the　natural　inner　principle　and　the　substance　of　all　events；　as　also　the　ethical　material；　and
the　〃pathos〃　of　action。　If　their　cosmic　natures　first　get　reality　and　a　sphere　of　effectual　operation
through　the　free　self　of　individuality；　it　is　also　the　case　that　they　are　the　universal；　which　withdraws
from　and　avoids　this　connexion；　remains　unrestricted　and　unconstrained　in　its　own　character；　and；
by　the　unconquerable　elasticity　of　its　unity；　extinguishes　the　atomic　singleness　of　the　individual
acting　and　his　various　features；　preserves　itself　in　its　purity；　and　dissolves　all　that　is　individual　in　the
current　of　its　own　continuity。

Just　as　the　gods　fall　into　this　contradictory　relation　with　the　antithetic　nature　having　the　form　of　self；
in　the　same　way　their　universality　comes　into　conflict　with　their　own　specific　character　and　the
relation　in　which　it　stands　to　others。　They　are　the　eternal　and　resplendent　individuals；　who　exist　in
their　own　calm；　and　are　removed　from　the　changes　of　time　and　the　influence　of　alien　forces。　But
they　are　at　the　same　time　determinate　elements；　particular　gods；　and　thus　stand　in　relation　to
others。　But　that　relation　to　others；　which；　in　virtue　of　the　opposition　it　involves；　is　one　of　strife；　is　a
comic　self…forgetfulness　of　their　eternal　nature。　The　determinateness　they　possess　is　rooted　in　the
divine　subsistence；　and　in　its　specific　limitation　has　the　independence　of　the　whole　individuality；
owing　to　this　whole；　their　characters　at　once　lose　the　sharpness　of　their　distinctive　peculiarity；　and
in　their　ambiguity　blend　together。

One　purpose　of　their　activity　and　their　activity　itself；　being　directed　against　an　〃other〃　and　so
against　an　invincible　divine　force；　are　a　contingent　and　futile　piece　of　bravado；　which　passes　away
at　once；　and　transforms　the　pretence　of　seriousness　in　the　act　into　a　harmless；　self…confident　piece
of　sport　with　no　result　and　no　issue。　If；　however；　in　the　nature　of　their　divinity；　the　negative
element；　the　specific　determinateness　of　that　nature；　appears　merely　as　the　inconsistency　of　their
activity；　and　as　the　contradiction　between　the　purpose　and　result；　and　if　that　independent
self…confidence　outweighs　and　overbalances　the　element　of　determinateness；　then；　by　that　very
fact；　the　pure　force　of　negativity　confronts　and　opposes　their　nature；　and　moreover　with　a　power
to　which　it　must　finally　submit；　and　over　which　it　can　in　no　way　prevail。　They　are　the　universal；　and
the　positive；　as　against　the　individual　self　of　mortals；　which　cannot　hold　out　against　their　power　and
might。　But　the　universal　self；　for　that　reason；　hovers　over　them　＇the　gods　in　Homer＇　and　over　this
whole　world　of　imagination　to　which　the　entire　content　belongs；　and　is　for　them　the　unintelligible
void　of　Necessity；　—　a　mere　happening　to　which　they　stand　related　selfless　and　sorrowing；　for
these　determinate　natures　do　not　find　themselves　in　this　purely　formal　necessity。

This　necessity；　however；　is　the　unity　of　the　notion；　a　unity　dominating　and　controlling　the
contradictory　independent　subsistence　of　the　individual　moments　a　unity　in　which　the　inconsistency
and　fortuitousness　of　their　action　is　coherently　regulated；　and　the　sportive　character　of　their　acts
receives　its　serious　value　in　those　acts　themselves。　The　content　of　the　world　of　imagination　carries
on　its　process　in　the　middle　element　＇term＇　detached　by　itself；　gathering　round　the　individuality　of
some　hero；　who；　however　feels　the　strength　and　splendour　of　his　life　broken；　and　mourns　the　early
death　he　sees　ahead　of　him。　For　individuality；　firmly　established　and　real　in　itself；　is　isolated　and
excluded　to　the　utmost　extreme；　and　severed　into　its　moments；　which　have　not　yet　found　each
other　and　united。　The　one　individual　element；　the　abstract　unreal　moment；　is　necessity　which　shares
in　the　life　of　the　mediating　term　just　as　little　as　does　the　other；　the　concrete　real　individual　element；
the　minstrel；　who　keeps　himself　outside　it；　and　disappears　in　what　he　imaginatively　presents。　Both
extremes　must　get　nearer　the　content；　the　one；　necessity；　has　to　get　filled　with　it；　the　other；　the
language　of　the　minstrel；　must　have　a　share　in　it。　And　the　content　formerly　left　to　itself　must　acquire
in　itself　the　certainty　and　the　fixed　character　of　the　negative。

This　higher　language；　that　of　Tragedy；　gathers　and　keeps　more　closely　together　the　dispersed　and
scattered　moments　of　the　inner　essential　world　and　the　world　of　action。　The　substance　of　the
divine　falls　apart；　in　accordance　with　the　nature　of　the　notion；　into　its　shapes　and　forms；　and　their
movement　is　likewise　in　conformity　with　that　notion。　In　regard　to　form；　the　language　here　ceases　to
be　narrative；　in　virtue　of　the　fact　that　it　enters　into　the　content；　just　as　the　content　ceases　to　be
merely　one　that　is　ideally　im