phenomenology of mind-第80节

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The　work　done　is　something　determinate；　like　the　original　nature　it　expresses；　because　being　cut
loose　by　the　process　of　acting　and　become　an　existing　reality；　the　negation　implied　in　this　process
remains　in　it　as　a　quality。　Consciousness；　however；　as　against　the　work；　is　specifically　that　in　which
this　quality　is　to　be　found　as　a　general　process　of　negation；　as　acting。　It　is　thus　the　universal　as
opposed　to　the　specific　determinateness　of　the　work　performed；　it　can　therefore　compare　one
kind　of　work　with　another；　and　can　thence　apprehend　individualities　themselves　as　different；　it　can；
e。g。　regard　an　individual　who　is　of　wider　compass　in　his　work　as　possessing　stronger　energy　of　will
or　a　richer　nature；　i。e。　a　nature　whose　original　constitution　（Bestimmtheit）　is　less　limited；　another
again　as　a　weaker　and　a　poorer　nature。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2。　Actual　Fact　and　Individuality

In　contrast　with　this　purely　quantitative　difference；　which　is　not　an　essential　difference；　〃good〃　and
〃bad〃　would　express　an　absolute　difference；　but　this　is　not　in　place　here。　Whether　taken　in　one
way　or　another；　action　is　equally　carried　on；　there　is　a　process　of　displaying　and　expressing　an
individuality；　and　for　that　reason　it　is　all　good：　it　would；　properly　speaking；　be　impossible　to　say
what　〃bad〃　is　to　be　here。　What　would　be　called　a　bad　work　is　the　individual　life　of　a　certain
specific　nature；　which　is　therein　realized。　It　would　only　be　degraded　into　a　bad　work　by　a
reflective　comparison；　which；　however；　is　quite　empty　and　futile；　since　this　goes　beyond　the
essential　meaning　and　nature　of　work　（which　is　a　self…expression　of　individuality；　and　then　seeks　to
find　and　demand　from　it　heaven　knows　what　else。

The　comparison　could　have　to　do　only　with　the　distinction　above　mentioned。　But　this；　being　a
distinction　of　quantity；　is　in　itself　not　an　essential　one；　and　here　in　particular　is　unessential　because
what　are　to　be　compared　together　are　different　works　and　individualities。　But　these　do　not　affect
one　another；　each　is　concerned　simply　with　itself。　The　original　nature　is　alone　the　essential　fact；　or
what　could　be　used　as　an　ultimate　standard　of　judgment　regarding　the　work；　and　conversely。　Both；
however；　correspond　to　each　other：　there　is　nothing　for；　individuality　which　is　not　obtained
through　it：　or　there　is　no　reality　which　is　not　its　nature　and　its　action；　and　no　action　nor　inherent
substance　of　individuality　which　is　not　real。　And　only　these　moments　are　to　be　compared。

There　is；　therefore；　in　general；　no　ground　for　feeling　elevated　or　for　lamenting　or　repenting：　all　that
sort　of　thing　arises　from　a　reflection　which　imagines　another　content　and　another　inner　nature　than
is　to　be　found　in　the　original　nature　of　the　individual　and　the　actual　carrying　of　it　out　in　reality。
Whatever　it　is　that　the　individual　does；　and　whatever　happens　to　him；　that　the　individual　has　done；
and　is　that　himself。　He　can　only　have　the　consciousness　of　the　mere　transference　of　his　self　from
the　darkness　of　possibility　to　the　daylight　of　the　present；　from　a　state　abstract　and　implicit　to　the
significance　of　actual　being；　and　can　have　only　the　certainty　that　what　seems　to　him　in　the　second
state　is　nothing　else　than　what　lay　dormant　in　the　former。　The　consciousness　of　this　unity　is　no
doubt　likewise　a　comparison；　but　what　is　compared　is　just　a　mere　appearance　of　opposition；　a
formal　appearance　which　for　reason；　qua　self…conscious　and　aware　that　individuality　is　inherently
actuality；　is　nothing　more　than　seeming。　The　individual；　therefore；　knowing　that　he　can　find　in　his
objective　actuality　nothing　but　its　unity　with　himself　or　can　find　only　the　certainty　of　himself　in　its
very　truth；　and　knowing　that　he　thus　always　attains　his　purpose　—　can　experience　only　a　sense　of
joy　in　himself。

That；　then；　is　the　conception　consciousness　has　of　itself　when　it　is　sure　of　its　being　an　absolute
identification；　a　complete　permeation；　of　individuality　and　existence。　Let　us　see　whether　this　notion
is　confirmed　and　supported　by　its　experience；　and　whether　its　reality　agrees　with　this　notion。

The　work　produced　is　the　reality　which　consciousness　gives　itself。　It　is　there　that　the　individual
becomes　consciously　what　he　is　implicitly；　and　in　such　wise　that　the　consciousness　which　becomes
aware　of　the　individual　in　the　work　performed　is　not　the　particular　consciousness　but　universal
consciousness。　He　has　placed　himself　by　his　work　quite　outside　in　the　element　of　universality；　in
the　characterless；　qualityless　region　of　existence。　The　consciousness　which　withdraws　from　its
work　is　in　point　of　fact　universal…because　it　becomes；　in　this　opposition　between　work　and
consciousness；　absolute　negativity；　the　process　of　action…and　stands　over　against　its　work；　which
is　determinate　and　particular。　It　thus　goes　beyond　itself　qua　work；　and　is　itself　the　indeterminate
region　which　its　work　still　leaves　void　and　unfilled。　If　their　unity　was　in　the　above　notion　still
preserved；　this　took　place　just　through　the　work　being　cancelled　qua　objectively　existing　product。
But　it　has　to　be；　and　we　have　to　see　how　individuality　will　retain　its　universality　in　the　existence　of
the　work；　and　will　know　how　to　get　satisfaction。

To　begin　with　we　have　to　consider　by　itself　the　work　which　has　come　into　being。　It　has　received
within　it　the　entire　nature　of　the　individual。　Its　existence　is　therefore　itself　an　action；　in　which　all
distinctions　interpenetrate　and　are　resolved。　The　work　is　thus　thrown　out　into　a　subsisting　form
where　the　specific　character　of　the　original　nature　does　in　fact　come　out　as　against　other
determinate　natures；　encroaches　on　them；　just　as　these　in　their　turn　encroach　on　it；　and　is　lost　as　a
vanishing　moment　in　this　general　process。　Although　in　the　conception　of　individuality　as　here　dealt
with；　the　various　moments　（circumstances；　purpose；　means；　and　realization）　are　all　alike；　and　the
original　specific　nature　stands　for　no　more　than　a　universal　element；　on　the　other　hand；　when　this
element　takes　on　an　objective　existence；　its　determinate　character　as　such　comes　to　light　in　the
work　done；　and　obtains　its　truth　in　its　dissolution。　Looked　at　more　closely；　this　dissolution　is　such
that　in　this　specific　character　the　individual；　qua　this　individual；　has　become　consciously　real；　but
the　specific　character　is　not　merely　the　content　of　reality；　but　its　form　as　well；　or　this　reality　as　such
is　as　a　whole　just　this　specific　character；　viz。　being　opposed　to　self…consciousness。　On　this　view
this　reality　is　seen　to　be　a　reality　which　has　disappeared　out　of　the　notion；　and　is　merely　found
given　as　an　alien　reality。　The　work　is；　i。e。　it　is　for　other　individuals；　and　for　them　it　is　an　external；　an
alien　reality；　in　whose　place　they　have　to　put　their　own；　in　order　to　get　by　their　action
consciousness　of　their　unity　with　reality。　In　other　words；　the　interest　which　they　take　in　that　work
owing　to　their　original　constitution　is　other　than　the　peculiar　interest　of　this　work；　which　thereby　is
turned　into　something　different。　The　work　is；　thus；　in　general　something　transitory；　which　is
extinguished　by　the　counter…action　of　other　powers　and　interests；　and　displays　the　reality　of
individuality　in　a　transitory　form　rather　than　as　fulfilled　and　accomplished。

Consciousness；　then；　by　doing　work　becomes　aware　of　that　contrast　between　being　and　acting；
which　in　the　earlier　forms　of　consciousness　was　at；　the　same　time　the　beginning　of　action；　and　is
here　merely　a　result。　This　contrast；　however；　was　in　fact　likewise　the　ultimate　principle　involved
when　consciousness　proceeded　to　act　as　an　implicitly　real　individuality；　for　action　presupposed　the
determinate　original　nature　as　the　ultimate　implicit　element；　and　the　mere　process　of　performing　the
act　for　the　sake　of　this　performance　took　that　nature　as　its　content。　Mere　action　is；　however；　the
self…identical　form；　with　which；　consequently；　the　specific　determinateness　of　the　original　nature
does　not　agree。　It　is　a　matter　of　indifference　here；　as　elsewhere；　which　of　the　two　is　called　notion
and　which　reality。　The　original　nature　is　the　thought　element；　the　implicit　factor　as　against　the
action；　in　which　it　first　gets　its　reality；　or；　again；　the　original　nature　is　the　existence　both　of
individuality　as　such　and　of　individuality　in　the　form　of　work；　while　action　is　the　original　notion　as
pure　and　simple　transition；　as　the　process　of　becoming。　This　lack　of　correspondence　between　idea
and　reality；　which　lies　in　its　essence；　consciousness　learns　in　its　work；　in　work；　therefore；
consciousness　becomes　aware　of　itself　as　it　in　truth　is；　and　its　empty　notion　of　itself　disappears。

In　this　fundamental　contradiction　characteristic　of　work　—　which　contains　the　truth　of　this
individuality　that　takes　itself　to　be　inherently　real　—　all　the　aspects　of　individuality　thus　appear　again
as　contradictory。　That　is　to　say；　in　the　work　（done）　the　content　of　the　entire　individuality　is　put
forth　out　of　the　process　of　doing　（it）；　which　is　the　negative　unity　holding　fast　all　the　moments　of　that
content；　into　（objective）　existence。　So　transferred　and　set　forth；　the　work　（done）　lets　the　moments
now　go　free；　and　in　the