phenomenology of mind-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


fashion；　is　the　self　directing　inner　soul　of　the　concrete　content。　The　movement　of　what　is　partly
consists　in　becoming　another　to　itself；　and　thus　developing　explicitly　into　its　own　immanent　content；
partly；　again；　it　takes　this　evolved　content；　this　existence　it　assumes；　back　into　itself；　i。e。　makes
itself　into　a　moment；　and　reduces　itself　to　simple　determinateness。　In　the　first　stage　of　the　process
negativity　lies　in　the　function　of　distinguishing　and　establishing　existence；　in　this　latter　return　into　self；
negativity　consists　in　the　bringing　about　of　determinate　simplicity。　It　is　in　this　way　that　the　content
shows　its　specific　characteristic　not　to　be　received　from　something　else；　and　stuck　on　externally；
the　content　gives　itself　this　determinate　characteristic；　appoints　itself　of　its　own　initiative　to　the　rank
of　a　moment　and　to　a　place　in　the　whole。　The　pigeon…holing　process　of　understanding　retains　for
itself　the　necessity　and　the　notion　controlling　the　content；　that　which　constitutes　the　concrete
element；　the　actuality　and　living　process　of　the　subject…matter　which　it　labels：　or　rather；
understanding　does　not　retain　this　for　itself；　on　the　contrary；　understanding　fails　to　know　it。　For　if　it
had　as　much　insight　as　that；　it　would　surely　show　that　it　had。　It　is　not　even　aware　of　the　need　for
such　insight；　if　it　were；　it　would　drop　its　schematizing　process；　or　at　least　would　no　longer　be
satisfied　to　know　by　way　of　a　mere　table　of　contents。　A　table　of　contents　is　all　that　understanding
gives；　the　content　itself　it　does　not　furnish　at　all。　

If　the　specific　determination　（say　even　one　like　magnetism）　is　one　that　in　itself　is　concrete　or　actual；
it　all　the　same　gets　degraded　into　something　lifeless　and　inert；　since　it　is　merely　predicated　of
another　existing　entity；　and　not　known　as　an　immanent　living　principle　of　this　existence；　nor　is　there
any　comprehension　of　how　in　this　entity　its　intrinsic　and　peculiar　way　of　expressing　and　producing
itself　takes　effect。　This；　the　very　kernel　of　the　matter；　formal　understanding　leaves　to　others　to　add
later　on。　Instead　of　making　its　way　into　the　inherent　content　of　the　matter　in　hand；　understanding
always　takes　a　survey　of　the　whole；　assumes　a　position　above　the　particular　existence　about　which
it　is　speaking；　i。e。　it　does　not　see　it　at　all。

True　scientific　knowledge；　on　the　contrary；　demands　abandonment　to　the　very　life　of　the　object；
or；　which　means　the　same　thing；　claims　to　have　before　it　the　inner　necessity　controlling　the　object；
and　to　express　this　only。　Steeping　itself　in　its　object；　it　forgets　to　take　that　general　survey；　which　is
merely　a　turning　of　knowledge　away　from　the　content　back　into　itself。　But　being　sunk　into　the
material　in　hand；　and　following　the　course　that　such　material　takes；　true　knowledge　returns　back
into　itself；　yet　not　before　the　content　in　its　fullness　is　taken　into　itself；　is　reduced　to　the　simplicity　of
being　a　determinate　characteristic；　drops　to　the　level　of　being　one　aspect　of　an　existing　entity；　and
passes　over　into　its　higher　truth。　By　this　process　the　whole　as　such；　surveying　its　entire　content；
itself　emerges　out　of　the　wealth　wherein　its　process　of　reflection　seemed　to　be　lost。　

In　general；　in　virtue　of　the　principle　that；　as　we　expressed　it　before；　substance　is　implicitly　and　in
itself　subject；　all　content　makes　its　reflection　into　itself　in　its　own　special　way。　The　subsistence　or
substance　of　anything　that　exists　is　its　self…identity；　for　its　want　of　identity；　or　oneness　with　itself；
would　be　its　dissolution。　But　self…identity　is　pure　abstraction；　and　this　is　just　thinking。　When　I　say
Quality；　I　state　simple　determinateness；　by　means　of　its　quality　one　existence　is　distinguished　from
another　or　is　an　〃existence〃；　it　is　for　itself；　something　on　its　own　account；　or　subsists　with　itself
because　of　this　simple　characteristic。　But　by　doing　so　it　is　essentially　Thought。

Here　we　find　contained　the　principle　that　Being　is　Thought：　here　is　exercised　that　insight　which
usually　tends　to　deviate　from　the　ordinary　non…conceptual　way　of　speaking　of　the　identity　of
thought　and　being。　In　virtue；　further；　of　the　fact　that　subsistence　on　the　part　of　what　exists　is
self…identity　or　pure　abstraction；　it　is　the　abstraction　of　itself　from　itself；　in　other　words；　is　itself　its
own　want　of　identity　with　itself　and　dissolution　—　its　own　proper　inwardness　and　retraction　into
self　—　its　process　of　becoming。

Owing；　to　the　nature　which　being　thus　has；　and　so　far　as　what　is　has　this　nature　from　the　point　of
view　of　knowledge；　this　thinking　is　not　an　activity　which　treats　the　content　as　something　alien　and
external；　it　is　not　reflection　into　self　away　from　the　content。　Science　is　not　that　kind　of　Idealism
which　stepped　into　the　place　of　the　Dogmatism　of　mere　assertion　and　took　the　shape　of　a
Dogmatism　of　mere　assurance；　the　Dogmatism　of　mere　self…certainty。　Rather；　since　knowledge
sees　the　content　go　back　into　its　own　proper　inner　nature；　the　activity　of　knowledge　is　absorbed　in
that　content　—　for　it　（the　activity）　is　the　immanent　self　of　the　content　—　and　is　also　at　the　same　time
returned　into　itself；　for　this　activity　is　pure　self…identity　in　otherness。　In　this　way　the　knowing　activity
is　the　artful　device　which；　while　seeming　to　refrain　from　activity；　looks　on　and　watches　how
specific　determinateness　with　its　concrete　life；　just　where　it　believes　it　is　working　out　its　own
self…preservation　and　its　own　private　interest；　is；　in　point　of　fact；　doing　the　very　opposite；　is　doing
what　brings　about　its　own　dissolution　and　makes　itself　a　moment　in　the　whole。

While；　in　the　foregoing；　the　significance　of　Understanding　was　stated　from　the　point　of　view　of　the
self…consciousness　of　substance；　by　what　has　been　here　stated　we　can　see　clearly　its　significance
from　the　point　of　view　of　substance　qua　being。　Existence　is　Quality；　self…identical　determinateness；
or　determinate　simplicity；　determinate　thought：　this　is　existence　from　the　point　of　view　of
Understanding。　On　this　account　it　is