for the self is the negative； and hence knowledge — a knowledge which is a pure act of
consciousness within itself。 This moment of the negative must in like manner find expression in the
content。 Since； that is to say； the essential Being is inherently and from the start reconcited with
itself and is a spiritual unity； in which what are parts for figurative thought are sublated； are
moments； what we find is that each part of figurative thought receives here the opposite
significance to that which it had before。 By this means each meaning finds its completion in the
other； and the content is then and thereby a spiritual content。 Since the specific determinateness of
each is just as much its opposite； unity in otherness — spiritual reality — is achieved： just as
formerly we saw the opposite meanings combined objectively （für uns）； or in themselves； and
even the abstract forms of 〃the same〃 and 〃not…the…same〃； 〃identity〃 and 〃non…identity〃 cancelled
one another and were transcended。
If； then； from the point of view of figurative thought； the becoming self…centred on the part of the
natural self…consciousness was actually existing evil； that process of becoming fixed in itself is in the
sphere of self consciousness； the knowledge of evil as something that per se belongs to existence。
This knowledge is certainly a process of becoming evil； but merely of the thought of evil； and is
therefore recognized as the first moment of reconciliation。 For； being a return into self out of the
immediacy of nature； which is specifically characterized as evil； it is a forsaking of that immediacy；
and a dying to sin。 It is not natural existence as such that consciousness forsakes； but natural
existence that is at the same time known to be evil。 The immediate process of becoming
self…centred； is just as much a mediate process： it presupposes itself； i。e。 is its own ground and
reason： the reason for self…concentrating is because nature has per se already done so。 Because of
evil man must be self…centred （in sich gehen）； but evil is itself the state of self…concentration。 This
first movement is just on that account itself merely immediate； is its simple notion； because it is the
same as what its ground or reason is。 The movement； or the process of passing into otherness； has
therefore still to come on the scene in its own more peculiar form。
Beside this immediacy； then； the mediation of figurative thought is necessary。 The knowledge of
nature as the untrue existence of spirit； and this universality of self which has arisen within the life of
the self — these constitute implicitly the reconciliation of spirit with itself。 This implicit state is
apprehended by the self…consciousness； that does not comprehend （begreifen）； in the form of an
objective existence； and as something presented to it figuratively。 Conceptual comprehension
（Begreifen）； therefore； does not mean for it a grasping （Ergreifen） of this conception （Begriff）
which knows natural existence when cancelled and transcended to be universal and thus
reconciled with itself； but rather a grasping of the imaginative idea （Vorstellung） that the Divine
Being is reconciled with its existence through an event； — the event of God's emptying Himself of
His Divine Being through His factual Incarnation and His Death。 The grasping of this idea now
expresses more specifically what was formerly called in figurative thinking spiritual resurrection； or
the process by which God's individual self…consciousness（13） becomes the universal； becomes the
religious communion。 The death of the Divine Man； qua death； is abstract negativity； the
immediate result of the process which terminates only in the universality belonging to nature。 In
spiritual self…consciousness death loses this natural significance； it passes into its true conception；
the conception just mentioned。 Death then ceases to signify what it means directly — the
non…existence of this individual — and becomes transfigured into the universality of the spirit；
which lives in its own communion； dies there daily； and daily rises again。
That which belongs to the sphere of pictorial thought — viz。； that Absolute Spirit presents the
nature of spirit in its existence； qua individual or rather qua particular； — is thus here transferred to
self…consciousness itself； to the knowledge which maintains itself in its otherness。 This
self…consciousness does not therefore really die； as the particular person（14） is pictorially imagined
to have really died； its particularity expires in its universality； i。e。 in its knowledge； which is
essential Being reconciling itself with itself。 That immediately preceding element of figurative
thinking is thus here affirmed as transcended； has； in other words； returned into the self； into its
notion。 What was in the former merely an （objective） existent has come to assume the form of
Subject。 By that very fact the first element too； pure thought and the spirit eternal therein； are no
longer away beyond the mind thinking pictorially nor beyond the self； rather the return of the whole
into itself consists just in containing all moments within itself。 When the death of the mediator is
grasped by the self； this means the sublation of his factuality； of his particular independent
existence： this particular self…existence has become universal self…consciousness。
On the other side； the universal； just because of this； is self…consciousness； and the pure or
non…actual Spirit of bare thought has become actual。 The death of the mediator is death not merely
of his natural aspect； of his particular self…existence： what dies is not merely the outer encasement；
which； being stripped。 of essential Being； is eo ipso dead； but also the abstraction of the Divine
Being。 For the mediator； as long as his death has not yet accomplished the reconciliation； is
something one…isided； which takes as essential Being the simple abstract element of thought； not
concrete reality。 This one…sided extreme of self has not yet equal worth and value with essential
Being； the self first gets this as Spirit。 The death of this pictorial idea implies at the same time the
death of the abstraction of Divine Being； which is not yet affirmed as a self。 'That death is the
bitterness of feeling of the 〃unhappy consciousness〃； when it feels that God Himself is dead。 This
harsh utterance is the expression of inmost selfknowledcre which has simply self for its content； it
is the return of consciousness into the depth of darkness where Ego is nothing but bare identity
with Ego； a darkness distinguishing and knowing nothing more outside it。 This feeling thus means；
in point of fact； the loss of the Substance and of its objective existence over against consciousness。
But at the same time it is the pure subjectivity of Substance； the pure certainty of itself； which it
lacked when it was object or unmediacy； or pure essential Being。 This knowledge is thus
spiritualization； whereby Substance becomes Subject； by which its abstraction and lifelessness
have expired； and Substance therefore has become real； simple； and universal self…consciousness。
In this way； then； Spirit is Spirit knowing its own self。 It knows itself； that； which is for it object；
exists； or； in other words； its figurative idea is the true absolute content。 As we saw； the content
expresses just Spirit itself。 It is at the same time not merely content of self…consciousness； and not
merely object for self…consciousness； it is also actual Spirit。 It is this by the fact of its passing
through the three elements of its nature： this movement through its whole self constitutes its actual
reality。 What moves itself； that is Spirit； it is the subject of the movement； and it is likewise the
moving process itself； or the substance through which the subject passes。 We saw how the notion
of spirit arose when we entered the sphere of religion： it was the process of spirit certain of its self；
which forgives evil； and in so doing puts aside its own simplicity and rigid unchangeableness： it
was； to state it otherwise； the process； in which what is absolutely in opposition recognizes itself as
the same as its opposite； and this knowledge breaks out into the 〃yea； yea〃； with which one
extreme meets the other。 The religious consciousness； to which the Absolute Being is revealed；
beholds this notion； and does away with the distinction of its self from what it beholds； and as it is
Subject； so it is also Substance； and is thus itself Spirit just because and in so far as it is this
process。
This religious communion； however； is not yet fulfilled in this its self…consciousness。 Its content； in
general； is put before it in the form of a pictorial idea； so that this disruption still attaches even to
the actual spiritual character of the communion — to its return out of its figurative thinking； just as
the element of pure thought itself was also hampered with that opposition。（15） This spiritual
communion is not also consciously aware what it is； it is spiritual self…consciousness； which is not
object to itself as this self…consciousness； or does not develop into clear consciousness of itself。
Rather； so far as it is consciousness； it has before it those picturethoughts which were considered。
We see self…consciousness at its last turning point become inward to itself and attain to knowledge
of its inner being； of its self…centredness。 We see it relinquish its natural existence； and reach pure
negativity。 But the positive significance — viz。 that this negativity； or pure inwardness of knowledge
is just as much the selfidentical essential Being： put other…wise； that Substance has here attained to
being absolute self…consciousness — this is； for the devotional consciousness； an external other。 It
grasps this aspect…that the knowledge which becomes purely inward is inherently absolute
simplicity； or Substance — as the pictorial idea of something which is not thus by its very
conception； but as the act of satisfaction obtained from an （alien） other。 In other words； it is not
really aware as a fact that this depth of pure self is the power by which the abstract essential Being
is drawn down from its abstractness and raised to the level of s