Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit:
123.
ARGUMENT:
the object is now for consciousness the whole movement previously shared between
object and consciousness
the Thing is a One reflected into itself - it is for itself but also for another - a being
that is doubly differentiated but also a One - but the Oneness contradicts this diversity
hence consciousness would have to assume responsibility for placing the diversity into
the one - and for keeping it away from the Thing
it would have to say that in so far as it is for itself - the thing is not for an other
but the Oneness also belongs to the Thing itself as consciousness has found by
experience - the thing is essentially reflected into itself
the Also - or the indifferent difference falls as much within the Thing as it does the
Oneness - but since the two are different they do not fall within the same Thing - but
different things
the contradiction that is present in the objective essence as a whole is distributed
between two objects
in and for itself the Thing is self-identical - but this unity of the Thing is disturbed by
other Things
the unity is preserved - and at the same time the otherness is preserved outside of the
Thing and outside of consciousness
COMMENTARY:
consciousness recognizes what it is not -
it is not that which is outside of itself - it is not that is - its object
this is a base fact essential to the logic of consciousness
it is this fact which is the source of consciousness' identity -
its identity is essentially - what it is not -
consciousness can reflect oo consciousness - and this is self-consciousness
the reflection of consciousness on itself reveals that it is - what it is not
and for all intents and purposes this is as good as it gets
that consciousness knows itself as what it is not
as to positive definition of consciousness by consciousness -
this does not occur -
the drama of this fact has led though to positive definitions -
and these are really definitions in panic
we hear it said that consciousness is spirit - is soul is mind etc.
but really consciousness is what its object is not -
there is a beauty in this definition - it is non-substantial - it is purely logical -
my specific point here is that the object is never compromised by consciousness
the object outside of consciousness is unknown
consciousness gives it knowledge - that is description -
the object is not a movement - it is a point of focus -
the thing is an unknown - it is given description in the action of consciousness
the giving of description - does not in any way alter the object - rather description
gives the object possibilities of use and function
different descriptions will give the object different possibilities - different utilities
the thing itself does not reflect - this if nothing else defines the thing - as what it is -
and what it is not
it is not consciousness
the relation of consciousness to its object - which is the phenomenal world - is a
relation of clarity and uncertainty -
this just is the relationship - it can be no otherwise -
we perceive the world clearly - the world is clear -
nevertheless on reflection - in reflection - it is uncertain
my view is that uncertainty is the gift of consciousness
that in a world without consciousness - no categories of thought would apply
we would simply have what is unknown
