the problem of consciousness - understanding it -
is only a problem of conscious - self-conscious beings
and why a problem at all?
only because - reflection - a conscious function
reveals nothing -
nothing that is but the fact of reflection
so there is a sense in which the mind cannot
know itself -
(and given that knowing is what the mind does this
is puzzling if not maddening)
if by knowledge we mean what?
being able to step out of the process in some way
see it as an object
we can of course objectify here -
but it is of no help - for we only and simply
remain within
knowledge is a relation between subject and object -
the difficulty here is that knowledge of the mind
can only be the subject describing itself -
and in a very limited way
in terms of it's capacity to reflect
and this is just a logical function with no content
to speak of - if knowledge - it is not substantial
and the crux is - when we come to speak - to think of
- to try to understand reflection
what is it?
the dilemma is - to answer this - any answer to this
- can only be - a reflection
therefore no movement
we have no possible explication
where to from here?
forget the issue?
take the view that self-knowledge - self-consciousness
- is only to be explicated in terms of - what it does -
that is - its objective expression
what it produces
what it expresses
the thing in itself - for all intents and purposes -
does not exist
certainly in terms of the above analysis -
it cannot be known
beyond its - function
the function of reflection
which simply is what the mind is
nothing more
there is no internal to this
we can understand the mind as an internality
but we cannot go into this internality
we cannot go beyond - deeper into reflection
to find something else
and for this reason it is quite reasonable
to give up the idea
