Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit:
158.
ARGUMENT:
according then to the law of this inverted world what is like in the first world is unlike
to itself and what is unlike in the first world is equally unlike to itself - or it becomes
like itself
expressed in determinate moments - this means that what is the law of the first world
is sweet - in this inverted is sour - what in the former is black in the other is white
what is the law of the first is the north pole of the magnet - in its other supersensible
in itself - in the earth - is the south pole
in another sphere revenge on an enemy is according to the immediate law to the
satisfaction of the injured party - this law forces me to confront him as a person
who does not treat me as such - and in fact bids me to destroy him as an individuality -
this law is turned around by the principle of the other world into its opposite - the
reinstatement of myself as a person through the destruction of the alien personality is
turned into self-destruction
if this inversion finds expression in the punishment of crime and made into a law -it's
only a law of one world - which is confronted by the inverted supersensible world
where what is despised in the former is honoured - and what in the former is honoured
meets with contempt
the punishment which in the first world disgraces and destroys a man is inverted into
the pardon which preserves his essential being and brings him to honour
COMMENTARY:
it is clear that the world of the unity of consciousness and non-consciousness - that
which appears -
presents our perception and that perceived - as a unity
so that we can quite naturally say - what is - is what is seen
this is the first moment of awareness
consciousness does not appear in this unity
the object 'in itself' does not appear in this unity
what appears is the unity of consciousness and non-consciousness
so appearance is a singular experience
however the singular experience as a singularity is without differentiation
consciousness divides
it separates itself out and its object is that which it is not
the separation is based on awareness - awareness of consciousness - as internal - and
thus its object as external
it is clear that the essential logical category of consciousness is negation
the operation of negation - is the operation that defines and differentiates
consciousness from its object
opposition is one form of characterization of this act of differentiation (the logic of
negation)
and inversion - one kind of opposition
anyway the point is consciousness acts in this way -
and it transfers this action to the unity - to the world of appearance -
consciousness acting on and in this unity differentiates
this fundamental action forms the logical or metaphysical basis for subsequent action
action in the world of appearance - the appearance that is unknown independently of
this action
what thus really appears is the appearance of knowledge
NB.
the action of consciousness that reveals consciousness - that results in self-
consciousness is reflection
in the initial state the appearance is unified -
consciousness reflects and thus reveals itself
and in this action distinguishes itself and posits its object
the point here is that consciousness is - in the initial state unknown
unknown to itself
its action - reflection reveals
there is nothing deeper to this
reflection is just what happens - what occurs
it is the revelation of internality
and consequently of externality
this is the first reflection
reflection on this initial reflection is not revelatory in a phenomenal sense
it is interpretive and thus theoretical
