Phenomenology of Spirit — G. W. F. Hegel

The Result of Enlightenment 589 one is indeed being returned into itself, but merely as being for itself, i.e. as abstract moment, appearing on one side over against the others. The useful itself does not consist in the negative fact of having these moments in their opposition at the same time undivided in one and the same respect, of having them as a form of thought yer se in the way they are qua pure insight.

The moment of being-for-self is doubtless a phase of i^s^f usefulness, but not in the sense that it swamps the other moments, heing-per-se and being-for-another ; if so, it would be the whole self.

In dealing with the useful, pure insight thus takes as object its own pecuhar notion in the pm^e moments constituting its nature; it is the consciousness of this metaphysical principle, but not yet its conceptual comprehension, it has not yet itself got to the unity of being and notion.

Because the useful still appears before insight in the form of an object, insight has a world, not indeed any longer a world all by itself and self-contained, but still a world all the same, which it distinguishes from itself. Only, since the opposites have come forth on the summit of the notion, the next step will be for them to collide with one another and for enhghtenment to experience the fruits of their deeds.

When we look at the object reached in relation to this entire sphere of spiritual life, we found the actual world of culture summed up in the vanity of selfconsciousness — in independent self-existence, whose content is drawn from the confusion characteristic of culture, and which is still the individual notion, not yet the self-conscious {für sich) universal notion. Keturned into itself, however, that (individual) notion is pure insight — pure consciousness qua pure self or

590 Phenomenology of Mind negativity, just as belief, too, is pure consciousness, qua pure thought or positivity. Behef finds in that self the moment that makes it complete; — but, perishing through being thus completed, it is in pure insight that we now see both moments as absolute Being, which is purely thought-constituted or is a negative entity, and as matter, which is the positive entity.

This completion still lacks that actual reality of self- consciousness, which belongs to the vain and empty type of consciousness — the world out of which thought raised itself up to itself. What is thus wanting is reached in the aspect of utility so far as pure insight secures positive objectivity there; pure insight is thereby a concrete actual consciousness satisfied within itself.

This objectivity now constitutes its world, and is become the final and true outcome of the entire previous world, ideal as well as real. The first world of spirit is the expansive realm of spirit's self-dispersed existence and of certainty of self in separate individual shapes and forms : just as nature disperses its life in an endless multiphcity of forms and shapes, without the generic principle of all the forms being present therein.

The second world contains the generic principle, and is the realm of the ultimate inherent nature {Ansichseyns) or the essential truth, over against that individual certainty. The third world, however, that of the profitable or the useful, is the truth which is certainty of self as well. The realm of the truth of behef lacks the principle of concrete actuality, or of certainty of self in the sense of this individual self.

But, again, concrete actuahty, or certainty of self qua this individual, lacks the ultimate inherent nature {AnsicJi). In the object of pure insight both worlds are united. The useful

The Result of Enlightenment 591 is the object so far as self-consciousness sees through it and individual certainty of self finds its enjoyment (its self-existence) in it; self-consciousness sees into it in this manner, and this insight contains the true essence of the object (which consists in being something permeable to sight, something seen through, in other words, in being for an other).

This insight is thus itself true knowledge ; and self-consciousness directly finds in this attitude universal certainty of itself as well, has its pure consciousness in this attitude, in which truth as well as immediateness and actuality are united. Both worlds are reconciled and heaven is transplanted to the earth below.