Hegel's Penomenology of Spirit
102.
ARGUMENT:
what does not disappear is the universal 'I' - whose seeing is neither the tree nor the
house
the 'I' is a universal like 'here' 'now' and 'this'
when science is faced i.e. with the task of finding the particular that the universal
refers to - it is impossible to say
COMMENTARY:
consciousness exists as the internal dimension of a two dimensional manifestation
consciousness does not appear -
but appearance is only possible given the existence of consciousness
the external dimension - is the appearance to consciousness
it is what is outside consciousness
and is therefore what appears to consciousness - again because of the fact of
consciousness
the particular consciousness - the I - exists in particular forms of existence
the persistence of consciousness through time is simply a function of the organism
(that has an internal dimension)
it is in such a case an internal function
no different in essence to the external functions of the entity - in that it is simply
function
persistence in space and time is just what existence (of anything) is
the 'I" does not exist as a mediated reality - a universal - as Hegel would put it -
such is just a theoretical construction designed to explain phenomena
once you understand that what we are dealing with in existing phenomena - and
existing conscious and self-conscious phenomena is function - the need to create
theoretical entities such as 'universals' is shown to be unnecessary and irrelevant
- and of no real value because such constructions actually lead us away from the facts
of existing things and states - they are in a sense alienating - strange aversions to
reality
the sense of 'I' that I have as that which is more than any particular experience of the I
(what Hegel calls the universal) - is the functioning of consciousness
in plain terms it is just the way the thing (consciousness) works - and yes as with
every other function of the entity - as conscious entities we can ask - how are we to
explain this function?
how are we - that is to explain consciousness?
well firstly what we are talking about here - and as far as I can see Hegel hasn't
recognized this - is self-consciousness
the function of consciousness that enables consciousness to hold itself as an object -
and this is essentially what the self amounts to - the reflective capacity of consciousness
in truth we have no explanation of this - only the fact - the bald fact if you like -of it
it is to put it crudely the way the thing works
it is how internality functions
any metaphysical theory that addresses the nature of this - attempts some explanation
is of interest
it is of interest because it is the kind of question that we ask
and Hegel's theory is no exception here
the fact of it is though - we have no way of seeing outside of the world to have what
you might call an objective view of what goes on - in consciousness and in relation to
its object
Spinoza in response to this problem proposed the sub specie aeternitatis concept
a pretty idea - yes - but there is no such point of view -
there is no sense in speaking of a point of view - that would have to be outside of
existence - in order to see it 'objectively'
my argument would be that there are certain existing forms that are two dimensional
they have an inside and an outside - the inside is - internality is - consciousness -
the external world is the world outside of this internality - it is the physical / material
world
the relation between the two is not a relation of substances - rather dimensions -
the relation of inside to outside - a dimensional relation
and you can ask does it make any sense to ask the question 'how does the inside of
something 'interact' with its outside?'
the answer is no
the entity as a unity simply functions
