phenomenology of mind-第15节

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Being　is　entirely　mediated；　it　is　a　substantial　content；　that　is　likewise　directly　in　the　possession　of
the　ego；　has　the　character　of　self；　is　notion。　With　the　attainment　of　this　the　Phenomenology　of　Mind
concludes。　What　mind　prepares　for　itself　in　the　course　of　its　phenomenology　is　the　element　of　true
knowledge。　In　this　element　the　moments　of　mind　are　now　set　out　in　the　form　of　thought　pure　and
simple；　which　knows　its　object　to　be　itself。　They　no　longer　involve　the　opposition　between　being
and　knowing；　they　remain　within　the　undivided　simplicity　of　the　knowing　function；　they　are　the　truth
in　the　form　of　truth；　and　their　diversity　is　merely　diversity　of　the　content　of　truth。　The　process　by
which　they　are　developed　into　an　organically　connected　whole　is　Logic　or　Speculative　Philosophy。

　　11。　　　In　what　way　the　Phenomenology　of　the　Spirit　is　negative　or　contains　what　is
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　false

Now；　because　the　systematic　statement　of　the　mind's　experience　embraces　merely　its　ways　of
appearing；　it　may　well　seem　that　the　advance　from　that　to　the　science　of　ultimate　truth　in　the　form
of　truth　is　merely　negative；　and　we　might　readily　be　content　to　dispense　with　the　negative　process
as　something　altogether　false；　and　might　ask　to　be　taken　straight　to　the　truth　at　once：　why　meddle
with　what　is　false　at　all？　The　point　formerly　raised；　that　we　should　have　begun　with　science　at
once；　may　be　answered　here　by　considering　the　character　of　negativity　in　general　regarded　as
something　false。　The　usual　ideas　on　this　subject　particularly　obstruct　the　approach　to　the　truth。　The
consideration　of　this　point　will　give　us　an　opportunity　to　speak　about　mathematical　knowledge；
which　non…philosophical　knowledge　looks　upon　as　the　ideal　which　philosophy　ought　to　try　to
attain；　but　has　so　far　striven　in　vain　to　reach。　

Truth　and　falsehood　as　commonly　understood　belong　to　those　sharply　defined　ideas　which　claim　a
completely　fixed　nature　of　their　own；　one　standing　in　solid　isolation　on　this　side；　the　other　on　that；
without　any　community　between　them。　Against　that　view　it　must　be　pointed　out；　that　truth　is　not
like　stamped　coin　that　is　issued　ready　from　the　mint　and　so　can　be　taken　up　and　used。　Nor；　again；
is　there　something　false；　any　more　than　there　is　something　evil。　Evil　and　falsehood　are　indeed　not
so　bad　as　the　devil；　for　in　the　form　of　the　devil　they　get　the　length　of　being　particular　subjects；　qua
false　and　evil　they　are　merely　universals；　though　they　have　a　nature　of　their　own　with　reference　to
one　another。　Falsity　（that　is　what　we　are　dealing　with　here）　would　be　otherness；　the　negative
aspect　of　the　substance；　which　＇substance＇；　qua　content　of　knowledge；　is　truth。　But　the　substance
is　itself　essentially　the　negative　element；　partly　as　involving　distinction　and　determination　of　content；
partly　as　being　a　process　of　distinguishing　pure　and　simple；　i。e。　as　being　self　and　knowledge　in
general。　Doubtless　we　can　know　in　a　way　that　is　false。　To　know　something　falsely　means　that
knowledge　is　not　adequate　to；　is　not　on　equal　terms　with；　its　substance。　Yet　this　very　dissimilarity
is　the　process　of　distinction　in　general；　the　essential　moment　in　knowing。　It　is；　in　fact；　out　of　this
active　distinction　that　its　harmonious　unity　arises；　and　this　identity；　when　arrived　at；　is　truth。　But　it　is
not　truth　in　a　sense　which　would　involve　the　rejection　of　the　discordance；　the　diversity；　like　dross
from　pure　metal；　nor；　again；　does　truth　remain　detached　from　diversity；　like　a　finished　article　from
the　instrument　that　shapes　it。　Difference　itself　continues　to　be　an　immediate　element　within　truth　as
such；　in　the　form　of　the　principle　of　negation；　in　the　form　of　the　activity　of　Self。　All　the　same；　we
cannot　for　that　reason　say　that　falsehood　is　a　moment　or　forms　even　a　constituent　part　of　truth。
That　〃in　every　case　of　falsity　there　is　something　true〃　is　an　expression　in　which　they　are　taken　to　be
like　oil　and　water；　which　do　not　mix　and　are　merely　united　externally。　Just　in　the　interest　of　their
real　meaning；　precisely　because　we　want　to　designate　the　aspect　or　moment　of　complete
otherness；　the　terms　true　and　false　must　no　longer　be　used　where　their　otherness　has　been
cancelled　and　superseded。　Just　as　the　expressions　〃unity　of　subject　and　object〃；　of　〃finite　and
infinite〃；　of　〃being　and　thought〃；　etc。；　are　clumsy　when　subject　and　object；　etc。；　are　taken　to　mean
what　they　are　outside　their　unity；　and　are　thus　in　that　unity　not　meant　to　be　what　its　very
expression　conveys；　in　the　same　way　falsehood　is　not；　qua　false；　any　longer　a　moment　of　truth。　

Dogmatism　as　a　way　of　thinking；　whether　in　ordinary　knowledge　or　in　the　study　of　philosophy；　is
nothing　else　but　the　view　that　truth　consists　in　a　proposition；　which　is　a　fixed　and　final　result；　or
again　which　is　directly　known。　To　questions　like；　〃When　was　Caesar　born？〃。　〃How　many　feet
make　a　furlongs〃；　etc。；　a　straight　answer　ought　to　be　given；　just　as　it　is　absolutely　true　that　the
square　of　the　hypotenuse　is　equal　to　the　sum　of　the　squares　of　the　other　two　sides　of　a　right…angled
triangle。　But　the　nature　of　a　so…called　truth　of　that　sort　is　different　from　the　nature　of　philosophical
truth。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　12。　　Historical　and　mathematical　truth

As　regards　truth　in　matters　of　historical　fact…to　deal　briefly　with　this　subject　—　so　far　as　we
consider　the　purely　historical　element；　it　will　be　readily　granted　that　they　have　to　do　with　the　sphere
of　particular　existence；　with　a　content　in　its　contingent　and　arbitrary　aspects；　features　that　have　no
necessity。　But　even　bare　truths　of　the　kind；　say；　like　those　mentioned；　are　impossible　without　the
activity　of　self　…consciousness。　In　order　to　know　any　one　of　them；　there　has　to　be　a　good　deal　of
comparison；　books　must　be　consulted；　or　in　some　way　or　other　inquiry　has　to　be　made。　Even　in　a
case　of　direct　perception；　only　when　we　know　it　along　with　the　reasons　behind　it；　is　it　held　to　be
something　of　real　value；　although　it　is　merely　the　naked　fact　itself　that　we　are；　properly　speaking；
supposed　to　be　concerned　about。

As　to　mathematical　truths；　we　should　be　still　less　inclined　to　consider　anyone　a　geometer　who　had
got　Euclid's　theorems　by　heart　（auswendig）　without　knowing　the　proofs；　without；　if　we　may　say
so　by　way　of　contrast；　getting　them　into　his　head　（inwendig）。　Similarly；　if　anyone　came　to　know
by　measuring　many　right…angled　triangles　that　their　sides　are　related　in　the　way　everybody　knows；
we　should　regard　knowledge　so　obtained　as　unsatisfactory。　All　the　same；　while　proof　is　essential　in
the　case　of　mathematical　knowledge；　it　still　does　not　have　the　significance　and　nature　of　being　a
moment　in　the　result　itself　；　the　proof　is　over　when　we　get　the　result；　and　has　disappeared。　Qua
result　the　theorem　is；　no　doubt；　one　that　is　seen　to　be　true。　But　this　eventuality　has　nothing　to　do
with　its　content；　but　only　with　its　relation　to　the　knowing　subject。　The　process　of　mathematical
proof　does　not　belong　to　the　object；　it　is　a　function　that　takes　place　outside　the　matter　in　hand。
Thus；　the　nature　of　a　right…angled　triangle　does　not　break　itself　up　into　factors　in　the　manner　set
forth　in　the　mathematical　construction　which　is　required　to　prove　the　proposition　expressing　the
relation　of　its　parts。　The　entire　process　of　producing　the　result　is　an　affair　of　knowledge　which
takes　its　own　way　of　going　about　it。　In　philosophical　knowledge；　too；　the　way　existence；　qua
existence；　comes　about　（Werden）　is　different　from　that　whereby　the　essence　or　inner　nature　of　the
fact　comes　into　being。　But　philosophical　knowledge；　for　one　thing；　contains　both；　while
mathematical　knowledge　sets　forth　merely　the　way　an　existence　comes　about；　i。e。　the　way　the
nature　of　the　fact　gets　to　be　in　the　sphere　of　knowledge　as　such。　For　another　thing；　too；
philosophical　knowledge　unites　both　these　particular　movements。　The　inward　rising　into　being；　the
process　of　substance；　is　an　unbroken　transition　into　outwardness；　into　existence　or　being　for
another；　and　conversely；　the　coming　of　existence　into　being　is　withdrawal　into　the　inner　essence。
The　movement　is　the　twofold　process　in　which　the　whole　comes　to　be；　and　is　such　that　each　at　the
same　time　posits　the　other；　and　each　on　that　account　has　in　it　both　as　its　two　aspects。　Together
they　make　the　whole；　through　their　resolving　each　other；　and　making　themselves　into　moments　of
the　whole。　

In　mathematical　knowledge　the　insight　required　is　an　external　function　so　far　as　the　subject…matter
dealt　with　is　concerned。　It　follows　that　the　actual　fact　is　thereby　altered。　The　means　taken；
construction　and　proof；　contain；　no　doubt；　true　propositions；　but　all　the　same　we　are　bound　to　say
that　the　content　is　false。　The　triangle　in　the　above　example　is　taken　to　pieces；　and　its　parts　made
into　other　figures　to　which　the　construction　in　the　triangle　gives　rise。　It　is　only　at　the　end　that　we
find　again　reinstated　the　triangle　we　are　really　concerned　with；　it　was　lost　sight　of　in　the　course　of
the　construction；　and　was　present　merely　in　fragments；　that　belonged　to　other　wholes。　Thus　we
find　negativity　of　content　coming　in　here　too；　a　negativity　which　would　have　to　be　called　falsit