第 62 节
作者:
匆匆 更新:2021-02-27 02:11 字数:9322
absolute; but on the other hand; this form of concrete existence; being…for…self; has not yet the
form of the in…itself as well。 What thus appears in respect of form as such; as opposition; appears
in the form of the Notion reflected into simple identity; that is; appears in the content as its simple
determinateness; thus the good; although valid in and for itself; is some particular end; but an end
that has not to wait to receive its truth through its realisation; but is already on its own account the
true。
The syllogism of immediate realisation itself requires no detailed exposition here; it is altogether
the same as the syllogism of external purposiveness considered above; it is only the content that
constitutes the difference。 In external as in formal purposiveness; it was an indeterminate finite
content in general; here; though it is finite too; it is as such at the same time as absolutely valid
content。 But in regard to the conclusion; to the realised end; a further difference comes in。 The
finite end in its realisation; all the same; gets no further than a means; since in its beginning it is not
an end already determined in and for itself; it remains even when realised an end that is not in and
for itself。 If the good again is also fixed as something finite; if it is essentially such; then
notwithstanding its inner infinitude it cannot escape the destiny of finitude a destiny that manifests
itself in a number of forms。 The realised good is good by virtue of what it already is in the
subjective end; in its Idea; realisation gives it an external existence; but since his existence is
determined merely as an intrinsically worthless externality; in it the good has only attained a
contingent; destructible existence; not a realisation corresponding to its Idea。 Further; since in
respect of its content the good is restricted; there are several kinds of good; good in its concrete
existence is not only subject to destruction by external contingency and by evil; but by the collision
and conflict of the good itself。 From the side of the objective world presupposed for it; in the
presupposition of which the subjectivity and finitude of the good consists; and which as a different
world goes its own way; the very realisation of the good is exposed to obstacles; obstacles which
may indeed even be insurmountable。
In this way; the good remains an ought…to…be; it is in and for itself; but being; as the ultimate
abstract immediacy; remains also confronting is in the form of a not…being。
The Idea of the realised good is; it is true; an absolute postulate; but it is no more than a
postulate; that is; the absolute afflicted with the determinateness of subjectivity。 There are still two
worlds in opposition; one a realm of subjectivity in the pure regions of transparent thought; the
other a realm of objectivity in the element of an externally manifold actuality that is an undisclosed
realm of darkness。 The complete elaboration of the unresolved contradiction between that
absolute end and the limitation of this actuality that insuperably opposes it; has been considered
in detail in the Phenomenology of Spirit。
As the Idea contains within itself the moment of complete determinateness; the other Notion with
which the Notion enters into relation in the Idea; possesses in its subjectivity also the moment of an
object; consequently the Idea enter here into the shape of self…consciousness and in this one
aspect coincides with the exposition of the same。
But what is still lacking in the practical Idea is the moment of consciousness proper itself; namely;
that the moment of actuality in the Notion should have attained on its own account the
determination of external being。
Another way of regarding this defect is that the practical Idea still lacks the moment of the
theoretical Idea。 That is to say; in the latter there stands on the side of the subjective Notion … the
Notion that is in process of being intuited within itself by the Notion only the determination of
universality; cognition knows itself only as apprehension; as the identity on its own account
indeterminate of the Notion with itself; the filling; that is; the objectivity that is determined in and
for itself; is for it a datum; and what truly is is the actuality there before it independently of
subjective positing。 For the practical Idea; on the contrary; this actuality; which at the same time
confronts it as an insuperable limitation; ranks as something intrinsically worthless that must first
receive its true determination and sole worth through the ends of the good。 Hence it is only the will
itself that stands in the way of attainment of its goal; for it separates itself from cognition; and
external reality for the will does not receive the form of a true being; the Idea of the good can
therefore find its integration only in the Idea of the true。
But it makes this transition through itself。 In the syllogism of action; one premise is the immediate
relation of the good end to actuality which it seizes on; and in the second premise directs it as
an external means against the external actuality。
For the subjective Notion the good is the objective; actuality in its existence confronts is as an
insuperable limitation only in so far as it still has the character of immediate existence; not of
something objective in the sense of a being that is in and for itself; on the contrary; it is wither the
evil if the indifferent; the merely determinable; whose worth does not reside within it。 This abstract
being that confronts the good in the second premise has; however; already been sublated by the
practical Idea itself; the first premise of the latter's action is the immediate objectivity of the
Notion; according to which the end communicates itself to actuality without meeting any resistance
and is in simple identical relation with it。 Thus all that remains to be done is to bring together the
thoughts of its two premises。 To what has been already immediately accomplished by the
objective Notion in the first premise; the only addition made in the second premise is that it is
posited through mediation; and hence posited for the objective Notion。 Now just as in the end
relation in general; the realised end is also again merely a means; while conversely the means is
also the realised end; so similarly in the syllogism of the good; the second premise is immediately
already present implicitly in the first; but this immediacy is not sufficient; and the second premise
is already postulated for the first … the realisation of the good in the face of another actuality
confronting it is the mediation which is essentially necessary for the immediate relation and the
accomplished actualisation of the good。
For it is only the first negation or the otherness of the Notion; an objectivity that would be a
submergence of the Notion in the externality; the second negation is the sublating of this otherness;
whereby the immediate realisation of the end first becomes the actuality the Notion is posited as
identical with itself; not with an other; and thus alone is posited as the free Notion。
Now if it is supposed that the end of the good is after all not realised through this mediation; this
signifies a relapse of the Notion to the standpoint occupied by it before its activity the standpoint
of an actuality determined as worthless and yet presupposed as real。 This relapse; which becomes
the progress to the spurious infinity; has its sole ground in the fact that in the sublating of that
abstract reality this sublating is no less immediately forgotten; or it is forgotten that this reality is in
fact already presupposed as an actuality that is intrinsically worthless and not objective。
This repetition of the presupposition of the end consequently assumes this character; that the
subjective bearing of the objective Notion is reproduced and made perpetual; with the result that
the finitude of the good in respect of its content as well as its form appears as the abiding truth;
and its actualisation appears as a merely individual act; and not as a universal one。 As a matter of
fact this determinateness has sublated itself in the actualisation of the good; what still limits the
objective Notion is its own view of itself; which vanishes by reflection on what its actualisation is
in itself。 Through this view it is only standing in its own way; and thus what it has to do is to turn;
not against an outer actuality; but against itself。
In other words; the activity in the second premise produces only a one…sided being…for…self; and
its product therefore appears as something subjective and individual; and consequently the first
presupposition is repeated in it。 But this activity is in truth no less the positing of the implicit
identity of the objective Notion and the immediate actuality。 This latter is determined by the
presupposition as having a phenomenal reality only; as being intrinsically worthless and simply and
solely determinable by the objective Notion。 When external actuality is altered by the activity of
the objective Notion and it determination therewith sublated; by that very fact the merely
phenomenal