phenomenology of mind-第150节

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If；　then；　from　the　point　of　view　of　figurative　thought；　the　becoming　self…centred　on　the　part　of　the
natural　self…consciousness　was　actually　existing　evil；　that　process　of　becoming　fixed　in　itself　is　in　the
sphere　of　self　consciousness；　the　knowledge　of　evil　as　something　that　per　se　belongs　to　existence。
This　knowledge　is　certainly　a　process　of　becoming　evil；　but　merely　of　the　thought　of　evil；　and　is
therefore　recognized　as　the　first　moment　of　reconciliation。　For；　being　a　return　into　self　out　of　the
immediacy　of　nature；　which　is　specifically　characterized　as　evil；　it　is　a　forsaking　of　that　immediacy；
and　a　dying　to　sin。　It　is　not　natural　existence　as　such　that　consciousness　forsakes；　but　natural
existence　that　is　at　the　same　time　known　to　be　evil。　The　immediate　process　of　becoming
self…centred；　is　just　as　much　a　mediate　process：　it　presupposes　itself；　i。e。　is　its　own　ground　and
reason：　the　reason　for　self…concentrating　is　because　nature　has　per　se　already　done　so。　Because　of
evil　man　must　be　self…centred　（in　sich　gehen）；　but　evil　is　itself　the　state　of　self…concentration。　This
first　movement　is　just　on　that　account　itself　merely　immediate；　is　its　simple　notion；　because　it　is　the
same　as　what　its　ground　or　reason　is。　The　movement；　or　the　process　of　passing　into　otherness；　has
therefore　still　to　come　on　the　scene　in　its　own　more　peculiar　form。

Beside　this　immediacy；　then；　the　mediation　of　figurative　thought　is　necessary。　The　knowledge　of
nature　as　the　untrue　existence　of　spirit；　and　this　universality　of　self　which　has　arisen　within　the　life　of
the　self　—　these　constitute　implicitly　the　reconciliation　of　spirit　with　itself。　This　implicit　state　is
apprehended　by　the　self…consciousness；　that　does　not　comprehend　（begreifen）；　in　the　form　of　an
objective　existence；　and　as　something　presented　to　it　figuratively。　Conceptual　comprehension
（Begreifen）；　therefore；　does　not　mean　for　it　a　grasping　（Ergreifen）　of　this　conception　（Begriff）
which　knows　natural　existence　when　cancelled　and　transcended　to　be　universal　and　thus
reconciled　with　itself；　but　rather　a　grasping　of　the　imaginative　idea　（Vorstellung）　that　the　Divine
Being　is　reconciled　with　its　existence　through　an　event；　—　the　event　of　God's　emptying　Himself　of
His　Divine　Being　through　His　factual　Incarnation　and　His　Death。　The　grasping　of　this　idea　now
expresses　more　specifically　what　was　formerly　called　in　figurative　thinking　spiritual　resurrection；　or
the　process　by　which　God's　individual　self…consciousness（13）　becomes　the　universal；　becomes　the
religious　communion。　The　death　of　the　Divine　Man；　qua　death；　is　abstract　negativity；　the
immediate　result　of　the　process　which　terminates　only　in　the　universality　belonging　to　nature。　In
spiritual　self…consciousness　death　loses　this　natural　significance；　it　passes　into　its　true　conception；
the　conception　just　mentioned。　Death　then　ceases　to　signify　what　it　means　directly　—　the
non…existence　of　this　individual　—　and　becomes　transfigured　into　the　universality　of　the　spirit；
which　lives　in　its　own　communion；　dies　there　daily；　and　daily　rises　again。

That　which　belongs　to　the　sphere　of　pictorial　thought　—　viz。；　that　Absolute　Spirit　presents　the
nature　of　spirit　in　its　existence；　qua　individual　or　rather　qua　particular；　—　is　thus　here　transferred　to
self…consciousness　itself；　to　the　knowledge　which　maintains　itself　in　its　otherness。　This
self…consciousness　does　not　therefore　really　die；　as　the　particular　person（14）　is　pictorially　imagined
to　have　really　died；　its　particularity　expires　in　its　universality；　i。e。　in　its　knowledge；　which　is
essential　Being　reconciling　itself　with　itself。　That　immediately　preceding　element　of　figurative
thinking　is　thus　here　affirmed　as　transcended；　has；　in　other　words；　returned　into　the　self；　into　its
notion。　What　was　in　the　former　merely　an　（objective）　existent　has　come　to　assume　the　form　of
Subject。　By　that　very　fact　the　first　element　too；　pure　thought　and　the　spirit　eternal　therein；　are　no
longer　away　beyond　the　mind　thinking　pictorially　nor　beyond　the　self；　rather　the　return　of　the　whole
into　itself　consists　just　in　containing　all　moments　within　itself。　When　the　death　of　the　mediator　is
grasped　by　the　self；　this　means　the　sublation　of　his　factuality；　of　his　particular　independent
existence：　this　particular　self…existence　has　become　universal　self…consciousness。

On　the　other　side；　the　universal；　just　because　of　this；　is　self…consciousness；　and　the　pure　or
non…actual　Spirit　of　bare　thought　has　become　actual。　The　death　of　the　mediator　is　death　not　merely
of　his　natural　aspect；　of　his　particular　self…existence：　what　dies　is　not　merely　the　outer　encasement；
which；　being　stripped。　of　essential　Being；　is　eo　ipso　dead；　but　also　the　abstraction　of　the　Divine
Being。　For　the　mediator；　as　long　as　his　death　has　not　yet　accomplished　the　reconciliation；　is
something　one…isided；　which　takes　as　essential　Being　the　simple　abstract　element　of　thought；　not
concrete　reality。　This　one…sided　extreme　of　self　has　not　yet　equal　worth　and　value　with　essential
Being；　the　self　first　gets　this　as　Spirit。　The　death　of　this　pictorial　idea　implies　at　the　same　time　the
death　of　the　abstraction　of　Divine　Being；　which　is　not　yet　affirmed　as　a　self。　'That　death　is　the
bitterness　of　feeling　of　the　〃unhappy　consciousness〃；　when　it　feels　that　God　Himself　is　dead。　This
harsh　utterance　is　the　expression　of　inmost　selfknowledcre　which　has　simply　self　for　its　content；　it
is　the　return　of　consciousness　into　the　depth　of　darkness　where　Ego　is　nothing　but　bare　identity
with　Ego；　a　darkness　distinguishing　and　knowing　nothing　more　outside　it。　This　feeling　thus　means；
in　point　of　fact；　the　loss　of　the　Substance　and　of　its　objective　existence　over　against　consciousness。
But　at　the　same　time　it　is　the　pure　subjectivity　of　Substance；　the　pure　certainty　of　itself；　which　it
lacked　when　it　was　object　or　unmediacy；　or　pure　essential　Being。　This　knowledge　is　thus
spiritualization；　whereby　Substance　becomes　Subject；　by　which　its　abstraction　and　lifelessness
have　expired；　and　Substance　therefore　has　become　real；　simple；　and　universal　self…consciousness。

In　this　way；　then；　Spirit　is　Spirit　knowing　its　own　self。　It　knows　itself；　that；　which　is　for　it　object；
exists；　or；　in　other　words；　its　figurative　idea　is　the　true　absolute　content。　As　we　saw；　the　content
expresses　just　Spirit　itself。　It　is　at　the　same　time　not　merely　content　of　self…consciousness；　and　not
merely　object　for　self…consciousness；　it　is　also　actual　Spirit。　It　is　this　by　the　fact　of　its　passing
through　the　three　elements　of　its　nature：　this　movement　through　its　whole　self　constitutes　its　actual
reality。　What　moves　itself；　that　is　Spirit；　it　is　the　subject　of　the　movement；　and　it　is　likewise　the
moving　process　itself；　or　the　substance　through　which　the　subject　passes。　We　saw　how　the　notion
of　spirit　arose　when　we　entered　the　sphere　of　religion：　it　was　the　process　of　spirit　certain　of　its　self；
which　forgives　evil；　and　in　so　doing　puts　aside　its　own　simplicity　and　rigid　unchangeableness：　it
was；　to　state　it　otherwise；　the　process；　in　which　what　is　absolutely　in　opposition　recognizes　itself　as
the　same　as　its　opposite；　and　this　knowledge　breaks　out　into　the　〃yea；　yea〃；　with　which　one
extreme　meets　the　other。　The　religious　consciousness；　to　which　the　Absolute　Being　is　revealed；
beholds　this　notion；　and　does　away　with　the　distinction　of　its　self　from　what　it　beholds；　and　as　it　is
Subject；　so　it　is　also　Substance；　and　is　thus　itself　Spirit　just　because　and　in　so　far　as　it　is　this
process。

This　religious　communion；　however；　is　not　yet　fulfilled　in　this　its　self…consciousness。　Its　content；　in
general；　is　put　before　it　in　the　form　of　a　pictorial　idea；　so　that　this　disruption　still　attaches　even　to
the　actual　spiritual　character　of　the　communion　—　to　its　return　out　of　its　figurative　thinking；　just　as
the　element　of　pure　thought　itself　was　also　hampered　with　that　opposition。（15）　This　spiritual
communion　is　not　also　consciously　aware　what　it　is；　it　is　spiritual　self…consciousness；　which　is　not
object　to　itself　as　this　self…consciousness；　or　does　not　develop　into　clear　consciousness　of　itself。
Rather；　so　far　as　it　is　consciousness；　it　has　before　it　those　picturethoughts　which　were　considered。

We　see　self…consciousness　at　its　last　turning　point　become　inward　to　itself　and　attain　to　knowledge
of　its　inner　being；　of　its　self…centredness。　We　see　it　relinquish　its　natural　existence；　and　reach　pure
negativity。　But　the　positive　significance　—　viz。　that　this　negativity；　or　pure　inwardness　of　knowledge
is　just　as　much　the　selfidentical　essential　Being：　put　other…wise；　that　Substance　has　here　attained　to
being　absolute　self…consciousness　—　this　is；　for　the　devotional　consciousness；　an　external　other。　It
grasps　this　aspect…that　the　knowledge　which　becomes　purely　inward　is　inherently　absolute
simplicity；　or　Substance　—　as　the　pictorial　idea　of　something　which　is　not　thus　by　its　very
conception；　but　as　the　act　of　satisfaction　obtained　from　an　（alien）　other。　In　other　words；　it　is　not
really　aware　as　a　fact　that　this　depth　of　pure　self　is　the　power　by　which　the　abstract　essential　Being
is　drawn　down　from　its　abstractness　and　raised　to