Hegel's Penomenology of Spirit:
103.
ARGUMENT:
sense certainty knows its essence is neither in the object or in the 'I'
and that its immediacy is neither the immediacy of one or the other
for in both what I mean is something unessential
the object and the 'I' are the universal in which 'Now' and 'Here' and 'I' - do not have
continuing being - or are not
we have to posit the whole of sense certainty as its essence and not one of its moments
it is thus sense certainty as a whole that stands firm within itself as immediacy - and
by so doing excludes from itself all opposition hitherto obtained
COMMENTARY:
firstly -
the simple fact of it is that Hegel has given the unknown a name - the universal
and yes it is true that the unknown has a reality deeper or more comprehensive than
the known
Hegel though really argues it is a known - not directly known - but analytically /
theoretically known
as a matter of fact he is wrong here about the unknown - it is directly apprehended - in
every human act
Hegel's universal is an attempt to give what is unknown the status of essential
knowledge
when all it is - is essentially what is not known
his theory of the universal is really just a result - or a reaction to the shock - the horror
- the anguish of finding there is nothing that we can say about reality other than what
we are presented with
the need - the desire to find an underpinning - a foundation to existence - is
consciousness reflecting on consciousness and finding - nothing else - beside its
awareness of its self and its object
Hegel's philosophy is an attempt to avoid the harsh reality of consciousness in the
world
it is perfectly understandable to wish to do this
the problem is that philosophically - you never do -
i.e. - the proposal of universals - just like the issue of immediacy it is designed to
solve - will be victim to the same problem
the problem of its (the universal's) foundation and basis -
the great advantage of skepticism here is its simplicity and its avoidance of deception
this comes at a cost - at least initially - there appears to be no comfort gained
secondly
Hegel's 'what I mean is unessential' -
here lies the true 'essence' of things - of existence - that it is just what it is and without
underpining - without explanation -
this is why we can breathe
thirdly
the unknown presents in consciousness and in consciousness' relation to its object
what we experience in thought and action will lead us to question the nature of
consciousness and the nature of its object
we are presented always with the unknown
our responses to it are our means theoretical and practical - of negotiating this space
yes we reify our conceptions (universals gods atoms - whatever) - but all they are in
the end is stratagems for negotiating our way in what we do not know
fourthly
Hegel's argument that the whole of sense certainty stands firm within itself -
and not any of its moments - can only sensibly mean that the ground on which all our
activities take place is the unknown
