按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Looked at formally； everything is likewise in its external aspects the reverse of what it is internally
for itself； and again it is not really and in truth what it is for itself； but something else than it wants to
be； its existence on its own account is； strictly speaking； the loss of self； and alienation of self is
really self…preservation。
The state of things brought about here； then； is that all moments execute justice on one another all
round； each is just as much in a condition of inherent self…alienation as it moulds itself into its
opposite； and in this way reverses the nature of that opposite。
（b） The Language of Distraction
Spirit truly objective； however； is just this unity of absolutely separate moments； and in fact comes
into existence as the common ground； the mediating agency； just through the independent reality of
these self…less extremes。 Its existence consists in universal talk and depreciatory judgment rending
and tearing everything； before which all those moments are broken up that are meant to signify
something real and to stand for actual members of the whole； and which at the same time plays
with itself this game of self…dissolution。 This judging and talking is； therefore； the real truth； which
cannot be got over； while it overpowers everything it is that which in this real world is alone truly
of importance。 Each part of this world comes to find there its spirit expressed； or gets to be
spoken of with esprit and finds said of it what it is。
The honest（8） soul takes each moment as a permanent and essential fact； and is the uncultivated
thoughtless condition that does not think and does not know that it is likewise doing the very
inverse。 The distraught and disintegrated soul is； however； aware of inversion； it is； in fact； a
consciousness of absolute inversion： the conceptual principle predominates there； brings together
into a single unity the thoughts that lie far apart in the case of the honest soul； and the language
conveying its meaning is； therefore； full of esprit and wit （geistreich）。
The content uttered by spirit and uttered about itself is； then； the inversion and perversion of all
conceptions and realities； a universal deception of itself and of others。 The shamelessness
manifested in stating this deceit is just on that account the greatest truth。 This style of speech is the
madness of the musician 〃who piled and mixed up together some thirty airs； Italian； French； tragic；
comic； of all sorts and kinds； now； with a deep bass； he descended to the depths of hell； then；
contracting his throat to a high； piping falsetto； he rent the vault of the skies； raving and soothed；
haughtily imperious and mockingly jeering by turns〃。（9） The placid soul（10） that in simple honesty of
heart takes the melody of the good and true to consist in harmony of sound and uniformity of
tones； i。e。 in a single note； regards this style of expression as a 〃fantastic mixture of wisdom and
folly； a melée of as much skill as low cunning； composed of ideas as likely to be right as wrong；
with as complete a perversion of sentiment； with as much consummate shamefulness in it； as
absolute frankness； candour； and truth。 It will not be able； to refrain from breaking out into all
these tones； and running up and down the whole gamut of feeling； from the depths of contempt
and repudiation to the highest pitch of admiration and stirring emotion。 A vein of the ridiculous will
be diffused through the latter； which takes away from their nature〃； the former will find in their very
candour a strain of atoning reconcilement； will find in their shuddering depths the all…powerful
strain which gives to itself spirit。
If we consider； by way of contrast to the mode of utterance indulged in by this self…transparent
distracted type of mind； the language adopted by that simple； placid consciousness of the good
and the true； we find that it can only speak in monosyllables when face to face with the frank and
self…conscious eloquence of the mind developed under the influence of culture； for it can say
nothing to the latter that the latter does not know and say。 If it gets beyond speaking in
monosyllables； then it says the same thing that the cultivated mind expresses； but in doing so
commits； in addition； the folly of imagining that it is saying something new； something different。 Its
very syllables； 〃disgraceful〃； 〃base〃； are this folly already； for the other says。 them of itself。 This
latter type of spirit perverts in its mode of utterance everything that sounds monotonous； because
this self…sameness is merely an abstraction； but in its actual reality is intrinsically and inherently
perversion。 On the other hand； again； the unsophisticated mind takes under its protection the good
and the noble （i。e。 what retains its identity of meaning in being objectively expressed）； and defends
it in the only way here possible…that is to say； the good does not lose its value because it may be
linked with what is bad or mingled with it； for to be thus associated with badness is its condition
and necessity； and the wisdom of nature lies in this fact。 Yet this unsophisticated mind； while it
intended to contradict； has merely； in doing so； gathered into a trifling form the meaning of what
spirit said； and put it in a manner which； by turning the opposite of noble and good into the
necessary condition of noble and good； thoughtlessly supposes itself to convey something else than
that the so…called noble and good is by its very nature the reverse of itself； or that what is bad is；
conversely； something excellent。
If the na？ve consciousness makes up for this barren； soulless idea by the concrete reality of what
is excellent； by adducing an example of what is excellent； whether in the form of a fictitious case or
a true story； and thus shows it to be not an empty name； but an actual fact； then it has against it the
universal reality of the perverted action of the entire real world； where that example constitutes
merely something quite isolated and particular； merely an espece； a sort of thing。 And to represent
the existence of the good and the noble as an isolated particular anecdote； whether fictitious or
true； is the bitterest thing that can be said about it。
Finally； should the na？ve mind require this entire sphere of perversion to be dissolved and broken
up； it cannot ask the individual to withdraw out of it； for even Diogenes in his tub ＇with his
pretence of withdrawal＇ is under the sway of that perversion； and to ask this of the particular
individual is to ask him to do precisely what is taken to be bad； viz。 to care for himself as
individual。 But if the demand to withdraw is directed at the universal individual； it cannot mean that
reason must again give up the culture and development of spiritual conscious life which it has
reached； that reason should let the extensive riches of its moments sink back into the na？veté of
natural emotion； and revert and approximate to the wild condition of the animal consciousness；
which is also called the natural state of innocence。 On the contrary； the demand for this dissolution
can only be addressed to the spirit