is drawn down from its abstractness and raised to the level of self by the force of this pure
devotion。 The action of the self hence retains towards it this negative significance； because the
relinquishment of itself on the part of substance is for the self something per se； the self does not at
once grasp and comprehend it； or does not find it in its own action as such。
Since this unity of Essential Being and Self has been inherently brought about； consciousness has
this idea also of its reconciliation； but in the form of an imaginative idea。 It obtains satisfaction by
attaching； in an external way； to its pure negativity the positive significance of the unity of itself with
essential Being。 Its satisfaction thus itself remains hampered with the opposition of a beyond。 Its
own peculiar reconciliation therefore enters its consciousness as something remote； something far
away in the future； just as the reconciliation； which the other self achieved； appears as away in the
distance of the past。 Just as the individual divine man（16） has an implied （essential； an sich） father
and only an actual mother； in like manner the universal divine man； the spiritual communion； has as
its father its own proper action and knowledge； while its mother is eternal Love； which it merely
feels； but does not behold in its consciousness as an actual immediate object。 Its reconciliation；
therefore； is in its heart； but still with its conscious life sundered in twain and its actual reality
shattered。 What falls within its consciousness as the immanent essential element； the aspect of pure
mediation； is the reconciliation that lies beyond： while what appears as actually present； as the
aspect of immediacy and of existence； is the world which has yet to await transfiguration。 The
world is no doubt implicitly reconciled with the essential Being； and that Being no doubt knows
that it no longer regards； the object as alienated from itself； but as one with itself in its Love。 But
for self…consciousness this immediate presence has not yet the form and shape of spiritual reality。
Thus the spirit of the communion is； in its immediate consciousness； separated from its religious
consciousness； which declares indeed that these two modes of consciousness inherently are not
separated； but this is an implicitness which is not realized； or has not yet become an equally
absolute explicit self…existence。
1。 Christianity。
2。 Which implies such opposition。
3。 The Roman State。
4。 From a hymn of Luther。
5。 As in neo…Platonism。
6。 e。g。 in Christianity。
7。 Cp。 〃He that hath seen me hath seen the Father〃 （John xiv。）。 〃If I go not away the Comforter
will not come unto you〃 （ibid。 xiv。）。
8。 〃Lo； I am with you always； even unto the end of the world〃 （Matt。 xxviii。； also xviii。20）。
9。 viz。 Christ。
10。 The life and work of the historical Jesus。
11。 v。 p。 764。
12。 The angelic hosts。
13。 The Christ。
14。 Christ。
15。 I。e。 between spiritual consciousness and objective idea。
16。 The historical Christ。
（DD）
VIII。 ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE
Absolute Knowledge （1）
THE Spirit manifested in revealed religion has not as yet surmounted its attitude of consciousness
as such； or； what is the same thing； its actual self…consciousness is not at this stage the object it is
aware of。 Spirit as a whole and the moments distinguished in it fall within the sphere of figurative
thinking； and within the form of objectivity。 The content of this figurative thought is Absolute
Spirit。 All that remains to be done now is to cancel and transcend this bare form； or better；
because the form appertains to consciousness as such； its true meaning must have already come
out in the shapes or modes consciousness has assumed。
1。 The Ultimate Content of the Self knows itself as all Existence
The surmounting of the object of consciousness in this way is not to be taken one…sidedly as
meaning that the object showed itself returning into the self。 It has a more definite meaning： it
means that the object as such presented itself to the self as a vanishing factor； and； furthermore；
that the emptying of self…consciousness itself establishes thinghood； and that this externalization of
self…consciousness has not merely negative； but positive significance； a significance not merely for
us or per se； but for self…consciousness itself。 The negative of the object； its cancelling its own
existence； gets； for self…consciousness； a positive significance； or； self…consciousness knows this
nothingness of the object because on the one hand self…consciousness itself externalizes itself； for
in doing so it establishes itself as object； or； by reason of the indivisible unity characterizing its
self…existence； sets up the object as its self。 On the other hand； there is also this other moment in
the process； that self…consciousness has just as really cancelled and superseded this
self…relinquishment and objectification； and has resumed them into itself； and is thus at home with
itself in its otherness as such。 This is the movement of consciousness； and in this process
consciousness is the totality of its moments。
Consciousness； at the same time； must have taken up a relation to the object in all its aspects and
phases； and have grasped its meaning from the point of view of each of them。 This totality of its
determinate characteristics makes the object per se or inherently a spiritual reality； and it becomes
so in truth for consciousness； when the latter apprehends every individual one of them as self； i。e。
when it takes up towards them the spiritual relationship just spoken of。
The object is； then； partly immediate existence； a thing in general — corresponding to immediate
consciousness； partly an alteration of itself； its relatedness； （or existence…for…another and
existence…for…self）； determinatenesss — corresponding to perception； partly essential being or in
the form of a universal…corresponding to understanding。 The object as a whole is the mediated
result ＇the syllogism＇ or the passing of universality into individuality through specification； as also
the reverse process from individual to universal through cancelled individuality or specific
determination。
These three specific aspects； then； determine the ways in which consciousness must know the
object as itself。 This knowledge of which we are spearing is； however； not knowledge in the sense
of pure conceptual comprehension of the object； here this knowledge is to be taken only in its
development； has to be taken in its various moments and set forth in the manner appropriate to
consciousness as such； and the moments of the notion proper； of pure knowledge； assume the
form of shapes or modes of consciousness。 For that reason the object does not yet； when present
in consciousness as such； appear as the inner essence of Spirit in the way this has just been
expressed。 The attitude consciousness adopts in regard to the object is not that of considering it
either in this totality as such or in the pure conceptual form； it is partly that of a mode or shape of
consciousness in general； partly a multitude of such modes which we ＇who analyze the process＇
gather together； and in which the totality of the moments of the object and of the process of
consciousness can be shown merely resolved into their moments。
To understand this method of grasping the object； where apprehension is a shape or mode of
consciousness； we h ave here only to recall the previous shapes of consciousness which came bef
ore us earlier in the argument。
As regards the object； then； so far as it is immediate； an indifferent objective entity； we saw
Reason； at the stage of 〃Observation〃； seeking and finding itself in this indifferent thing — i。e。 we
saw it conscious that its activity is there of an external sort； and at the same time conscious of the
object merely as an immediate object。 We saw； too； its specific character take expression at its
highest stage in the infinite judgment： 〃the being of the ego is a thing〃。 And； further； the ego is an
immediate thing of sense。 When ego is called a soul； it is indeed represented also as a thing； but a
thing in the sense of something invisible； impalpable； etc。； i。e。 in fact not as an immediate entity and
not as that which is generally understood by a thing。 That judgment； then； 〃ego is a thing〃； taken at
first glance； has no spiritual content； or rather； is just the absence of spirituality。 In its conception；
however； it is in fact the most luminous and illuminating judgment； and this； its inner significance；
which is not yet made evident； is what the two other moments to be considered express。
The thing is ego。 In point of fact； thing is transcended in this infinite judgment。 The thing is nothing
in itself； it only has significance in relation； only through the ego and its reference to the ego。 This
moment came before consciousness in pure insight and enlightenment。 Things are simply and solely
useful； and only to be considered from the point of view of their utility。 The trained and cultivated
self…consciousness； which has traversed the region of spirit in self…alienation； has； by giving up
itself； produced the thing as its self； it retains itself； therefore； still in the thing； and knows the thing
to have no independence； in other words knows that the thing has essentially and solely a relative
existence。 Or again — to give complete expression to the relationship； i。e。 to what here alone
constitutes the nature of the object — the thing stands for something that is self…existent；
sense…certainty （sense…experience） is announced as absolute truth； but this self…existence is itself
declared to be a moment which merely disappears； and passes into its opposite； into a being at the
mercy of an 〃other〃。
But knowledge of the thing is not vet finished at this point。 The thing must become known as self
not merely in regard to the immediateness of its being and as regards its determinateness； but also
in the sense of essence or inner reality。 This is found in the case of Moral Self…consciousness。 This
mode of experience knows its k