phenomenology of mind-第85节

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its　entirety；　and　procure　himself　a　permanent　lasting　good。　This　being　so；　the　idea　that　a　thing　is　to
become　by　chance　the　possession　of　the　first　self…conscious　individual　（Leben）　who　happens　to
need　it；　is　inconsistent　with　itself。

In　a　communistic　society；　where　provision　would　be　made　in　a　way　which　is　universal　and
permanent；　either　each　comes　to　have　as　much　as　he　requires…in　which　case　there　is　a
contradiction　between　this　inequality　and　the　essential　nature　—　of　consciousness；　whose　principle
is　the　equality　of　individuals…or；　acting　on　this　last　principle；　there　is　an　equal　division　of　goods；　and
in　this　case　the　share　each　gets　has　no　relation　to　his　needs；　and　yet　this　is　solely　what　〃share〃；　i。e。
fair　share；　really　means。

But　if　when　taken　in　this　way　absence　of　property　seems　contradictory；　this　is　only　because　it　has
not　been　left　in　the　form　of　a　simple　determinate　characteristic。　The　same　result　is　found　in　the　case
of　property　if　this　is　resolved　into　separate　moments。　The　particular　thing　which　is　my　property　has
by　being　so　the　value　of　something　universal；　established；　and　permanent。　This；　how。　ever；
contradicts　its　nature；　which　consists　in　its　being　used　and　passing　away。　At　the　same　time　its
value　lies　in　being　mine；　which　all　others　acknowledge　and　keep　themselves　away　from。　But　just　in
my　being　acknow…　ledged　lies　rather　my　equality；　my　identify；　with　every　one　—　the　opposite　of
exclusion。

Again；　what　I　possess　is　a　thing；　i。e。　an　existence；　which　is　there　for　others　in　general；　quite
universally　and　without　any　condition　that　it　is　for　me　alone。　That　I　possess　it　contradicts　the
general　nature　of　its　thinghood。　Property　therefore　contradicts　itself　on　all　hands　just　as　much　as
absence　of　property；　each　has　within　it　both　these　opposite　and　self…contradictory　moments；
universality　and　particularity。

But　each　of　these　determinate　characteristics；　presented　simply　as　property　or　absence　of
property　without　further　developing　its　implications；　is　as　simple　as　the　other；　i。e。　is　not
self…contradictory。　The　standard　of　law　which　reason　has　within　itself　therefore　fits　every　case　in
the　same　way；　and　is　in　point　of　fact　no　standard　at　all。　It　would；　too；　turn　out　rather　strange；　if
tautology；　the　principle　of　contradiction；　which　is　allowed　to　be　merely　a　formal　criterion　for
knowledge　of　theoretical　truth；　i。e。　something　which　is　quite　indifferent　to　truth　and　untruth　alike；
were　to　be　more　than　this　for　knowledge　of　practical　truth。

In　both　the　above　moments　of　what　fills　up　the　previous　emptiness　of　spiritual　reality　（geistigen
Wesen）　the　attempt　to　establish　immediate　determinate　characteristics　within　the　substance　of　the
ethical　life；　and　then　to　know　whether　these　determinations　are　laws；　has　cancelled　itself。　The
outcome；　then；　seems　to　be　that　neither　determinate　laws　nor　a　knowledge　of　these　can　be
obtained。　But　the　substance　in　question　is　the　consciousness　of　itself　as　absolute　essentiality
（Wesenheit）；　a　consciousness　therefore　which　can　give　up　neither　the　difference　falling　within　that
substance；　nor　the　knowledge　of　this　difference。　That　giving　laws　and　testing　laws　have　turned　out
futile　indicates　that　both；　taken　individually　and　in　isolation；　are　merely　unstable　moments　of　the
ethical　consciousness；　and　the　process　in　which　they　appear　has　the　formal　significance；　that　the
substance　of　ethical　life　thereby　expresses　itself　as　consciousness。

So　far　as　both　these　moments　are　more　precise　determinations　of　the　consciousness　of　the　real
intent　（Sache　selbst）　they　can　be　looked　on　as　forms　of　that　honesty　of　nature　（Ehrlichkeit）　which
now；　as　always　with　its　formal　moments；　is　much　occupied　with　a　content　which　〃ought　to　be〃
good　and　right；　and　with　testing　definite　fixed　truth　of　this　sort；　and　supposes　itself　to　possess　in
healthy　reason　and　intelligent　insight　the　force　and　validity　of　ethical　commands。

Without　this　honesty　of　nature；　however；　laws　do　not　have　validity　as　essential　realities　of
consciousness；　and　the　process　of　testing　likewise　does　not　hold　good　as　an　activity　inside
consciousness。　Rather；　these　moments；　when　they　appear　directly　as　a　reality　each　by　itself；
express　in　the　one　case　an　invalid　establishment　and　mere　de　facto　existence　of　actual　laws；　and　in
the　other　an　equally　invalid　detachment　from　them。　The　law　as　determinate　has　an　accidental
content：　this　means　here　that　it　is　a　law　made　by　a　particular　individual　conscious　of　an　arbitrary
content。　To　legislate　immediately　in　that　way　is　thus　tyrannical　insolence　and　wickedness；　which
makes　caprice　into　a　law；　and　morality　into　obedience　to　such　caprice　—　obedience　to　laws　which
are　merely　laws　and　not　at　the　same　time　commands。　So；　too；　the　second　process；　testing　the
laws；　so　far　as　it　is　taken　by　itself；　means　moving　the　immovable；　and　the　insolence　of　knowledge；
which　treats　absolute　laws　in　a　spirit　of　intellectual　detachment；　and　takes　them　for　a　caprice　that　is
alien　and　external　to　it。

In　both　forms　these　moments　are　negative　in　relation　to　the　ethical　substance；　to　the　real　spiritual
nature。　In　other　words；　the　substance　does　not　find　in　them　its　reality：　but　instead　consciousness
contains　the　substance　still　in　the　form　of　its　own　immediacy；　and　the　substance　is；　as　yet；　only　a
process　of　willing　and　knowing　on　the　part　of　this　individual；　or　the　ought〃　of　an　unreal　command
and　a　knowledge　of　formal　universality。　But　since　these　modes　were　cancelled；　consciousness　has
passed　back　into　the　universal　and　those　oppositions　have　vanished。　The　spiritual　reality　is　actual
substance　precisely　through　these　modes　not　holding　good　individually；　but　merely　as　cancelled
and　transcended；　and　the　unity　where　they　are　merely　moments　is　the　self　of　consciousness　which
is　henceforth　established　within　the　spiritual　reality；　and　makes　that　spirit　concrete；　actual；　and
self…conscious。

Spiritual　reality　（das　geistige　Wesen）　is　thus；　in　the　first　place；　for　self…consciousness　in　the　shape
of　a　law　implicitly　existing。　The　universality　present　in　the　process　of　testing；　which　was　of　a　formal
kind　and　not　inherently　existent；　is　transcended。　The　law　is；　too；　an　eternal　law；　which　does　not
have　its　ground　in　the　will　of　a　given　individual；　but　has　a　being　all　its　own　（an　und　für　sich）；　the
pure　and　absolute　will　of　all　which　takes　the　form　of　immediate　existence。　This　will　is；　again；　not　a
command　which　merely　ought　to　be；　it　is　and　has　validity；　it　is　the　universal　ego　of　the　category；
ego　which　is　immediately　reality；　and　the　world　is　only　this　reality。　Since；　however；　this　existing　law
is　absolutely　valid；　the　obedience　given　by　self…consciousness　is　not　service　rendered　to　a　master；
whose　orders　are　mere　caprice　and　in　which　it　does　not　recognize　its　own　nature。　On　the　contrary；
the　laws　are　thoughts　of　its　own　absolute　consciousness；　thoughts　which　are　its　own　immediate
possession。　Moreover；　it　does　not　believe　in　them；　for　belief；　while　it　no　doubt　sees　the　essential
nature；　still　gazes　at　an　alien　essence　—　not　its　own。　The　ethical　self…consciousness　is　directly　at
one　with　the　essential　reality；　in　virtue　of　the　universality　of　its　own　self。　Belief；　on　the　other　hand；
begins　with　an　individual　consciousness；　it　is　a　process　in　which　this　consciousness　is　always
approaching　this　unity；　without　ever　being　able　to　find　itself　at　home　with　its　essential　nature。　The
above　consciousness；　on　the　other　hand；　has　transcended　itself　as　individual；　this　mediating
process　is　completed；　and　only　because　of　this；　is　it　immediate　self…consciousness　of　ethical
substance。

The　distinction；　then；　of　self…consciousness　from　the　essential　nature　（Wesen）　is　completely
transparent。　Because　of　this　the　distinctions　found　within　that　nature　itself　are　not　accidental
characteristics。　On　the　contrary；　because　of　the　unity　of　the　essence　with　self…consciousness　（from
which　alone　discordance；　incongruity；　might　have　come）；　they　are　articulated　groups　（Massen）　of
the　unity　permeated　by　its　own　life；　unsundered　spirits　transparent　to　themselves；　stainless　forms
and　shapes　of　heaven；　that　preserve　amidst　their　differences　the　untarnished　innocence　and
concord　of　their　essential　nature。

Self…consciousness；　again；　stands　likewise　in　a　simple　and　clear　relation　to　those　different　laws。
They　are；　and　nothing　more　—　this　is　what　constitutes　the　consciousness　of　its　relation　to　them。
Thus；　Antigone　takes　them　for　the　unwritten　and　unerring　laws　of　the　god　—　

　　　　　〃Not　now；　indeed；　nor　yesterday；　but　for　aye
　　　　　It　lives；　and　no　man　knows　what　time　it　came。〃　（1）　

They　are。　If　I　ask　for　their　origin；　and　confine　them　to　the　point　whence　they　arose；　that　puts　me
beyond　them；　for　it　is　I　who　am　now　the　universal；　while　they　are　the　conditioned　and　limited。　If
they　are　to　get　the　sanction　of　my　insight；　I　have　already　shaken　their　immovable　nature；　their
inherent　constancy；　and　regard　them　as　something　which　is　perhaps　true；　but　possibly　may　also　be
not　true；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。　True　ethical　sentiment　consists　just　in　holding　fast　and　unshaken
by　what　is　right；　and　abstaining　altogether　from　what　would　move　or　shake　it　or　derive　it。　Suppo