world of spiritual culture； which would thus have been merely refreshed and rejuvenated by the
fear of the lord； that has again entered men's hearts。 Spirit would have anew to traverse and
continually repeat this cycle of necessity； if only complete interpenetration of self…consciousness
and the substance were the final result： an interpenetration in which self…consciousness； which has
experienced the force of its universal nature operating negatively upon it； would try to know and
find itself not as this particular self…consciousness but only as universal； and hence； too； would be
able to endure the objective reality of universal spirit； a reality； excluding self…consciousness qua
particular。
But this is not the form the final result assumed。 For in absolute freedom there was no reciprocal
interaction either between an external world and consciousness； which is absorbed in manifold
existence or sets itself determinate purposes and ideas； or between consciousness and an external
objective world； be it a world of reality or of thought。 What that freedom contained was the world
absolutely in the form of consciousness； as a universal will； and； along with that； self…consciousness
gathered out of all the dispersion and manifoldness of existence or all the manifold ends and
judgments of mind； and concentrated into the bare and simple self。 The form of culture； which it
attains in interaction with that essential nature； is； therefore； the grandest and the last； is that of
seeing its pure and simple reality immediately disappear and pass away into empty nothingness。（3）
In the sphere of culture itself it does not get the length of viewing its negation or alienation in this
form of pure abstraction； its negation is negation with a filling and a content…either honour and
wealth； which it gains in the place of the self that it has alienated from itself； or the language of
esprit and insight； which the distraught consciousness acquires； or； again； the negation is the
heaven of belief or the principle of utility belonging to the stage of enlightenment。 All these
determinate elements disappear with the disaster and ruin that overtake the self in the state of
absolute freedom；（4） its negation is meaningless death； sheer horror of the negative which has
nothing positive in it； nothing that gives a filling。
At the same time； however； this negation in its actual manifestation is not something alien and
external。 It is neither that universal background of necessity in which the moral world is swamped；
nor the particular accident of private possession； the whims and humours of the owner； on which
the distraught consciousness finds itself dependent； it is universal will； which in this its last
abstraction has nothing positive； and hence can give nothing in return for the sacrifice。 But just on
that account this will is in unmediated oneness with self…consciousness； it is the pure positive
because it is the pure negative； and that meaningless death； the unfilled； vacuous negativity of self；
in its inner constitutive principle； turns round into absolute positivity。 For consciousness； the
immediate unity of itself with universal will； its demand to know itself as this particular determinate
centre in the universal will； is changed and converted into the absolutely opposite experience。
What it loses there； is abstract being； the immediate existence of that insubstantial centre； and this
vanished immediacy is the universal will as such which it now knows itself to be； so far as it is
superseded and cancelled immediacy； so far as it is pure knowledge or pure will。 By this means it
knows that will to be itself； and knows itself to be essential reality； but not as the immediate
essence； not will as revolutionary government or anarchy struggling to establish an anarchical
constitution； nor itself as a centre of this faction or the opposite； the universal will is its pure
knowing and willing； and it is universal will qua this pure knowledge and volition。 It does not lose
itself there； for pure knowledge and volition is it far more than that atomic point of consciousness。
It is thus the interaction of pure knowledge with itself； pure knowledge qua essential reality is
universal will； while this essence is simply and solely pure knowledge。 Self…consciousness is thus
pure knowledge of essential reality in the sense of pure knowledge。 Furthermore； qua single self it
is merely the form of the subject or concrete real action； a form which by it is known as form。 In
the same way objective reality； 〃being〃； is for it absolutely self…less form； for that objective reality
would be what is not known： this knowledge； however； knows knowledge to be the essential fact。
Absolute freedom has thus squared and balanced the self…opposition of universal and single will。
The self…alienated type of mind； driven to the acme of its opposition； where pure volition and the
purely volitional agent are still kept distinct； reduces that opposition to a transparent form； and
therein finds itself
Just as the realm of the real and actual world passes over into that of belief and insight； absolute
freedom leaves its self…destructive sphere of reality； and passes over into another land of
self…conscious spirit； where in this unreality freedom is taken to be and is accepted as the truth。 In
the thought of this truth spirit refreshes and revives itself （so far as spirit is thought and remains so）；
and knows this being which self…consciousness involves ＇viz。 Thought＇ to be the complete and
entire essence of everything。 The new form and mode of experience that now arises is that of the
Moral Life of Spirit。
1。 Refers primarily to the régime under the French revolutionaries。
2。 The essential principle of anarchy。
3。 Kant's 〃thing in itself〃？
4。 In the sense of abstract autonomy。
C
The Spirit in the condition of being Certain of Itself
Morality
THE ethical order of the community found its destiny consummated and its truth realized in the
spirit that merely passed away within it — the individual self。 This legal person； however； has its
substance and its fulfilment outside the ethical order。 The process of the world of culture and belief
does away with this abstraction of a mere person； and by the completion of the process of
estrangement； by reaching the extremity of abstraction； the self of spirit finds the substance
become first the universal will； and finally its own possession。 Here； then； knowledge seems at last
to have become entirely adequate to the truth at which it aims； for its truth is this knowledge itself。
All opposition between the two sides has vanished； and that； too； not for us （who are tracing the
process）； not merely implicitly； but actually for self…consciousness itself。 That is to say；
self…consciousness has itself got the mastery over the opposition which consciousness involves。
This latter rests on the opposition between certainty of self and the object。 Now； however； the
object for it is the certainty of self； knowledge： just as the certainty of itself as such has no longer
ends of its own； is no longer conditioned and determinate； but is pure knowledge。
Self…consciousness thus now takes its knowledge to be the substance itself。 This substance is； for
it； at once immediate and absolutel mediated in one indivisible unity。 It is immediate — just like the
〃ethical〃 consciousness； it knows and itself does its duty； and is bound to its duty as to its own
nature： but it is not character； as that ethical consciousness was； which in virtue of its immediacy is
a determinate type of spirit； belongs merely to one of the essential features of ethical life； and has
the characteristic of not being conscious explicit knowledge。 It is； again； absolute mediation； like
the consciousness developing itself through culture and like belief； for it is essentially the movement
of the self to transcend the abstract form of immediate existence； and become consciously
universal…and yet to do so neither by simply estranging and rending itself as well as reality； nor by
fleeing from it。 Rather； it is for itself directly and immediately present in its very substance； for this
substance is its knowledge； it is the pure certainty of self become transparently visible。 And just
this very immediacy； which constitutes its own actual reality； is the entire actuality； for the
immediate is being and qua pure immediacy； immediacy purified by thoroughgoing negativity； this
immediacy is pure being； is being in general； is all being。
Absolute essential Being is； therefore； not exhausted by the characteristic of being the simple
essence of thought； it is all actuality； and this actuality exists merely as knowledge。 What
consciousness did not know would have no sense and can be no power in its life。 Into its
self…conscious knowing will； all objectivity； the whole world； has withdrawn。 It is absolutely free in
that it knows its freedom； and just this very knowledge of its freedom is its substance； its purpose；
its sole and only content。
a
The Moral View of the World
（1） The Postulated Harmony of Duty and Reality
SELF…CONSCIOUSNESS knows and accepts duty as the Absolute。 It is bound by that alone；
and this substance is its own pure conscious life； duty cannot； for it； take on the form of something
alien and external。 When thus shut up and confined within itself； however； moral
self…consciousness is not yet affirmed and looked at as consciousness。（1） The object is immediate
knowledge； and being thus permeated purely by the self； is not object。 But； self…consciousness
being essentially mediation and negativity； there is implied in its very conception relation to some
otherness； and thus it is consciousness。 This other； because duty constitutes the sole essential
purpose and object of self…consciousness； is a reality completely devoid of significance for
self…consciousness。 But again because this consciousness is so entirely confined within itself； it
takes up towards this otherness a perfectly free and detached attitude； and the existence of this
other is；