Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit:
128.
ARGUMENT:
with this the last 'in so far as' that separated being-for-self from being for another falls
away
on the contrary the object is in one and the same respect the opposite of itself -
it is for itself in so far as it is for another - and for another in so far as it is for itself
it is for itself reflected into itself - a One
but this 'for -itself' this being as a One is posited in a unity with its opposite - being-
for-another - and hence canceled out
in other words this being-for-itself is just as unessential - as the only aspect that was
supposed to be unessential - being-for-another
COMMENTARY:
we may wish to - but we cannot say - what is essential to reality - or existence
Spinoza I think would say existence is its own essence -
as I see it such a statement it is to say there is no essence to existence -
that indeed as Hegel has just argued - existence is unessential
that there is nothing but what is -
how we describe what is - is of course another matter - a complex matter in fact - but
the object of description is simply all there is -
there is nothing behind the veil -
OK -
I would simply add to this that outside of what is presented to consciousness is what is
not known
though I would not say the unknown is essential -
the unknown - is just that - unknown
and what is known is certainly not essential - again it is just what it is - knowledge
and 'knowledge' (as far as it goes) is just consciousness' reflection on the unknown
and by reflection I also mean here - what is usually referred to as what is presented to
consciousness
the presentation is the initial - the primary reflection
we feel secure in the world that is given in consciousness - it is our world - our every
day world
but here it must be realized is a security based only on the presence of consciousness
and consciousness as with any other natural phenomenon or natural form is not
guaranteed - it simply is - at least at this moment
essence is the desire to find some underlying certainty for the uncertainty that is
consciousness in the world
it is a false argument if taken too seriously - however if regarded as just a way of
dealing with the unknown - it's as good as anything else put forward by Hegel - or for
that matter - anyone else
