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It is not only we who make this distinction of essential truth and particular example； of essence and
instance； immediacy and mediation； we find it in sense…certainty itself； and it has to be taken up in
the form in which it exists there； not as we have just determined it。 One of them is put forward in it
as existing in simple immediacy； as the essential reality； the object。 The other； however； is put
forward as the non…essential； as mediated； something which is not per se in the certainty； but there
through something else； ego； a state of knowledge which only knows the object because the
object is； and which can as well be as not be。 The object； however； is the real truth； is the
essential reality； it is； quite indifferent to whether it is known or not； it remains and stands even
though it is not known； while the knowledge does not exist if the object is not there。
We have thus to consider as to the object； whether in point of fact it does exist in sense…certainty
itself as such an essential reality as that certainty gives it out to be； whether its meaning and notion；
which is to be essential reality； corresponds to the way it is present in that certainty。 We have for
that purpose not to reflect about it and ponder what it might be in truth； but to deal with it merely
as sense…certainty contains it。
Sense…certainty itself has thus to be asked： What is the This ？ If we take it in the two…fold form of
its existence； as the Now and as the Here； the dialectic it has in it will take a form as intelligible as
the This itself。 To the question； What is the Now？ we reply； for example； the Now is night…time。
To test the truth of this certainty of sense； a simple experiment is all we need： write that truth
down。 A truth cannot lose anything by being written down； and just as little by our preserving and
keeping it。 If we look again at the truth we have written down； look at it now； at this noon…time；
we shall have to say it has turned stale and become out of date。
The Now that is night is kept fixed； i。e。 it is treated as what it is given out to be； as something
which is； but it proves to be rather a something which is not。 The Now itself no doubt maintains
itself； but as what is not night； similarly in its relation to the day which the Now is at present； it
maintains itself as something that is also not day； or as altogether something negative。 This self
…maintaining Now is therefore not something immediate but something mediated； for； qua
something that remains and preserves itself； it is determined through and by means of the fact that
something else； namely day and night； is not。 Thereby it is just as much as ever it was before；
Now； and in being this simple fact； it is indifferent to what is still associated with it； just as little as
night or day is its being； it is just as truly also day and night； it is not in the least affected by this
otherness through which it is what it is。 A simple entity of this sort； which is by and through
negation； which is neither this nor that； which is a not…this； and with equal indifference this as well
as that — a thing of this kind we call a Universal。 The Universal is therefore in point of fact the truth
of sense…certaintv； the true content of sense…experience。
It is as a universal； too； that we（3） give utterance to sensuous fact。 What we say is： 〃This〃； i。e。 the
universal this； or we say： 〃it is〃； i。e。 being in general。 Of course we do not present before our mind
in saying； so the universal this； or being in general； but we utter what is universal； in other words；
we do not actually and absolutely say what in this sense…certainty we really mean。 Language；
however； as we see； is the more truthful； in it we ourselves refute directly and at once our own
〃meaning〃； and since universality is the real truth of sense…certainty； and language merely expresses
this truth； it is not possible at all for us even to express in words any sensuous existence which we
〃mean〃。
The same will be the case when we take the Here； the other form of the This。 The Here is e。g。 the
tree。
I turn about and this truth has disappeared and has changed round into its opposite： the Here； is
not a tree； but a house。 The Here itself does not disappear； it is and remains in the disappearance
of the house； tree； and so on； and is indifferently house； tree。 The This is shown thus again to be
mediated simplicity； in other words； to be universality。
Pure being； then； remains as the essential element for this sense…certainty； since sense…certainty in
its very nature proves the universal to be the truth of its object。 But that pure being is not in the
form of something immediate； but of something in which the process of negation and mediation is
essential。 Consequently it is not what we intend or 〃mean〃 by being； but being with the
characteristic that it is an abstraction； the purely universal； and our intended 〃meaning〃； which
takes the truth of sense…certainty to be not something universal； is alone left standing in contrast to
this empty。 indifferent Now and Here。
If we compare the relation in which knowledge and the object first stood with the relation they
have come to assume in this result； it is found to be just the reverse of what first appeared。 The
object； which professed to be the essential reality； is now the non…essential element of
sense…certainty； for the universal； which the object has come to be； is no longer such as the object
essentially was to be for sense…certainty。 The certainty is now found to lie in the opposite element；
namely in knowledge； which formerly was the non…essential factor。 Its truth lies in the object as my
（meinem） object； or lies in the 〃meaning〃 （Meinen）； in what I 〃mean〃； it is； because I know it。
Sense…certainty is thus indeed banished from the object； but it is not yet thereby done away with； it
is merely forced back into the I。 We have still to see what experience reveals regarding its reality
in this sense。
The force of its truth thus lies now in the I； in the immediate fact of my seeing； hearing； and so on；
the disappearance of the particular Now and Here that we 〃mean〃 is prevented by the fact that I
keep hold on them。 The Now is daytime； because I see it； the Here is a tree for a similar reason。
Sense…certainty； however； goes through； in this connection； the same dialectic process as in the
former case。 I； this I； see the tree； and assert the tree to be the Here； another I； however； sees
the house and maintains the Here is not a tree but a house。 Both truths have the same authenticity
— the immediacy of seeing and the certainty and assurance both have as to their specific way of
knowing； but the one certainty disappears in the other。
In all this； what does not disappear is the I qua universal； whose seeing is neither the seeing of this
tree nor of this house； but just seeing simpliciter； which is mediated through the negation of this
house； etc。； and； in being so； is all the same simple and indifferent to what is associated with it； the
house； the tree； and so on。 I is merely universal； like Now； Here； or This in general。 No doubt I
〃mean〃 an individual I； but just something as little as I am ab