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Absolute Spirit
Georg Hegel
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From the Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical SciencesPart III: The Philosophy of Spirit

$ %&' The concept o( the spirit has its reality in the spirit. I( this reality is in complete) i)entity with that concept as the "nowle)ge o( the absol*te i)ea+ then the necessary aspect is that the implicitly (ree intelligence liberates itsel( (or its concept+ in or)er (or it to be a shape worthy o( it. The s*b,ective an) the ob,ective spirit can there(ore be seen as the path on which this si)e o( reality or existence (orms itsel( -$ ' %.. Conversely+ this path also has the signi(icance that the s*b,ective spirit is seen as the (irst entity which exists in its imme)iacy witho*t the concept+ grasps its essence an) (orms itsel( (rom there+ an) thereby reaches its (ree i)entity with the concept+ its absol*te reality. $ %&% /ince the s*b,ective in)ivi)*ality in its (ree )evelopment is essentially a process that begins with imme)iate li(e+ the highest i)entity which being has+ an) there(ore observes all the )eterminate beings in the worl) as a n*llity an) entities to be sacri(ice)+ the ethical s*bstance has the signi(icance o( absol*te power an) the absol*te so*l+ an) contains the signi(icance o( the essence o( nat*re an) o( the spirit. $ %&& The )iremption o( this general an) p*re s*bstance o( the spirit is there(ore the ,*)gment in itsel( an) the "nowle)ge (or which it exists as s*ch. -a. The 0eligion o( Art $ %&1 The imme)iate shape o( this "nowle)ge is that o( the int*ition an) representation o( the

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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html absol*te spirit as the i)eal. $ %&2. The signi(icance o( the i)eal is the s*bstantiality as the i)entical an) concrete essence o( nat*re an) o( the spirit+ a concrete essence which is calle) 3o). The proo( that this signi(icance is the absol*te tr*th is the me)iation by which nat*re is s*spen)e) into the spirit+ an) the spirit s*spen)s its s*b,ectivity thro*gh its activity into the absol*te spirit+ thereby placing itsel( as its (inal gro*n) in s*ch a way that this me)iation is in itsel( ,*st as m*ch the s*spension o( the me)iation+ o( the antithesis -$ 22+ 2%+ ! &+ an) so on.+ an) "nows itsel( as the absol*te (irst principle. $ %&4 As this conscio*sness o( the absol*tely (irst ta"es shape+ its imme)iacy pro)*ces the (actor o( (init*)e in art+ an) is also the )eterminate shape o( 3o) (or itsel( at (irst as the abstract o( an imme)iate existence+ o( an elementary or concrete nat*ral being+ or o( the opposite+ p*re tho*ght. $ %&5 The tr*th+ however+ o( that imme)iate shape an) its shapeless negativity+ o( the here an) now an) o( the beyon)+ is the concrete shape born (rom the spirit. In this i)eal the nat*ral imme)iacy appears only as the sign o( tho*ght+ liberate) (rom its contingency an) trans(ig*re) thro*gh tho*ght to express the i)ea+ so that the shape shows it an) it alone: the shape o( bea*ty. $ %1 Inso(ar as bea*ty in general is the penetration o( the int*ition or o( the image by tho*ght+ an) exemplary tho*ght+ it is something (ormal+ an) the content o( tho*ght+ as well as the material which it *ses (or its imagination+ can in the (irst place be o( the most vario*s types. $ %1!. Inso(ar+ however+ as the (orm has its tr*e content+ that penetration itsel( the spirit*al s*bstance in its absol*te signi(icance -$ %&2.+ it is+ however+ (or the sa"e o( the imme)iacy in which this "nowle)ge is int*ition or imagistic representation+ the shape+ to a certain extent (inite+ as being is imme)iate an) thereby external material+ the content is partly there(ore only a partic*lar spirit o( the people. $ %12 That this existence is a pro)*ct o( the s*b,ect+ which grasps the i)ea an) brings it to external presentation+ is not beca*se o( its (init*)e6 (or the s*b,ect is only p*rely (ormal

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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html activity+ an) the wor" o( art is only then an expression o( 3o) when there is no sign o( s*b,ective partic*larity in it+ an) the in)welling spirit o( the people is conceive) an) born into the worl) *nmixe) an) *nspotte) by its contingency. The me)iation+ which has gone thro*gh the pain an) the activity o( a s*b,ect an) has ta"en shape+ is imme)iately s*spen)e). The wor" presents the s*bstance o( the s*b,ect+ an) the labo*r pains are precisely this absol*te mani(estation an) negativity o( the s*b,ective partic*larity. $ %1' Inso(ar+ however+ as the image o( the 3o) is at han) as imme)iate+ th*s the relation o( the others+ )riven by their sel(7s*bsisting essences in the act o( worship thro*gh )evotion an) the act o( lowering in tho*ghts+ relin8*ishes their own s*b,ectivity+ symbolically sacri(ices their partic*lar reality+ an) becomes conscio*s in the enth*siasm an) in the en,oyment o( their i)entity with the s*bstance. Th*s the relation loses its external shape an)+ to the same extent+ trans(ers its s*b,ectivity+ which is inwar) in s*bstance only as general "nowle)ge+ into existence. $ %1% In worl) history+ however+ the absol*te spirit s*spen)s the (init*)e o( its "nowing reality an) the limite) existence o( its i)ea in an) (or itsel( into generality+ as well as the (orm o( the int*ition+ o( the imme)iate "nowle)ge an) existence+ into sel(7me)iating "nowle)ge an) an existence which is itsel( "nowle)ge+ an) passes into revelation. -b. 0eveale) 0eligion $ %1& Absol*te spirit at this level o( the s*spen)e) imme)iacy o( its shape+ an) its "nowle)ge as well at the level o( re(lection+ is+ on the one han)+ the general spirit o( nat*re an) o( the spirit s*bsisting in an) (or itsel(6 b*t on the other han)+ it exists (or the representation. lie s*b,ectivity o( "nowle)ge+ beca*se it is re(lection+ len)s in)epen)ence to the moments o( its li(e+ whose totality it essentially is+ ma"ing them pres*ppositions o( each other+ an) phenomena which s*ccee) each other6 it ma"es a complex o( events accor)ing to (inite re(lective categories. $ %11 In this separation the re(lection separates the (orm (rom the content+ an) in the (orm the )i((erent moments o( the concept are separate) into partic*lar spheres or elements+ in each o( which the absol*te content mani(ests itsel(. $ %12 -!. In the moment o( generality+ the sphere o( p*re tho*ght or the abstract element o( the essence+ it is there(ore the absol*te spirit which is in the (irst place the pres*ppose) principle+ an) as a s*bstantial power in the re(lective )etermination o( ca*sality is creator o( heaven an) earth. B*t in this eternal sphere the spirit only generates itsel( as its son+

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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html whose generation or positing is e8*ally+ however+ s*spen)e) an) the eternal being o( the concept6 ,*st as its )etermination to be )i((erent (rom the general essence eternally s*spen)s itsel( an)+ thro*gh this me)iation o( the sel(7s*spen)ing me)iation+ the (irst s*bstance is only concrete in)ivi)*ality is the spirit. $ %14 -2. In the moment o( partic*larity+ however+ as ,*)gment+ in which in)ivi)*ality in general is incl*)e) or becomes itsel( again in the moment o( re(lection+ it is this concrete eternal essence which is pres*ppose). Its movement is the act*al creation or )isintegration o( the eternal moment o( me)iation+ o( the only son+ who is )ivi)e) into the in)epen)ent antithesis. #n the one han)+ namely+ are heaven an) earth+ elemental an) concrete nat*re+ an) on the other han)+ stan)ing in relation to s*ch nat*re+ the spirit+ which there(ore is (inite. That spirit+ as the extreme o( sel(7s*bsisting negativity+ completes its in)epen)ence *ntil it becomes wic"e)ness+ becomes )irectly an extreme thro*gh its relation to an opposing nat*re an) thro*gh its own nat*ralness th*s posits it. $ %15 -'. In the moment o( in)ivi)*ality as s*ch+ namely+ o( s*b,ectivity an) o( the concept itsel( in which the antithesis o( general an) partic*lar has s*n" to its i)entical gro*n)+ the place o( pres*pposition -a. is ta"en by the general s*bstance+ as act*alise) o*t o( its abstraction into an in)ivi)*al sel(7conscio*sness. This in)ivi)*al is also as s*ch i)entical with the essence+ an) thereby evil in an) (or itsel( is s*spen)e). 9*rther+ this imme)iate concreteness expires in the absol*te pain o( negativity+ in which it+ as concreteness+ is i)entical with itsel( an) th*s+ as absol*te ret*rn (rom that negativity an) as general *nity o( the general an) in)ivi)*al essentiality (or itsel( has realise) its being as the i)ea o( the spirit+ eternal+ b*t living an) real. $ %2 -b. This totality+ since it exists in the sphere o( re(lection+ is the sel(7s*bsisting totality or pres*pposition+ an) in opposition to this totality stan)s the )ivision an) (inite imme)iacy o( in)ivi)*al s*b,ectivity. 9or this s*b,ectivity the initial pres*pposition an) its movement are at (irst an other an) an ob,ect o( contemplation6 the int*ition o( its sel(7 s*bsisting tr*th+ thro*gh which this (inite s*b,ect+ on acco*nt o( its imme)iate nat*re+ at (irst )etermines itsel( as n*llity an) evil. It is+ there(ore+ accor)ing to the example o( its tr*th+ the movement to relin8*ish its imme)iate nat*ral )eterminacy an) its own will+ an) to *ni(y itsel( with that example in the pain o( negativity+ in general abstraction. In this way the s*b,ect recognises itsel( as i)entical with the essence+ which -c. thro*gh this me)iation brings abo*t its own )welling in sel(7conscio*sness+ an) is the real+ general spirit. $ %2! The revelation o( the absol*te+ whose li(e is presente) in a cycle o( concrete shapes o(

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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html representation+ (ollows (rom its separation into in)epen)ent parts with a temporal an) external se8*ence+ an) in this last res*lt it gathers itsel( as the tr*e an) the real in the general+ simple+ an) eternal spirit. In this (orm o( tr*th+ tr*th is the ob,ect o( philosophy. -c. :hilosophy $ %22 :hilosophy is the *nity o( art an) religion+ as the simple int*ition an) s*bstantial pro)*ction o( art are elevate) to sel(7conscio*s tho*ght thro*gh the separation into parts an) the me)iation o( religion. In this element the sel(7conscio*s i)ea p*ri(ies itsel( ,*st as m*ch (rom its (irst imme)iacy as (rom the appearance o( the event+ (rom the contingency+ the externality+ an) the se8*ential nat*re which its content has in religion. This "nowle)ge is th*s the concept o( art an) religion in which the )iverse elements o( the content are recognise) as necessary+ an) this necessity an) imme)iacy are recognise) as (ree. $ %2' This recognition o( the necessity in the content o( the absol*te representation+ as well as o( the necessity o( both (orms+ on the one han)+ imme)iate int*ition an) its poetry+ an) on the other han)+ the pres*ppose) representation+ the ob,ective an) external revelation+ an) the s*b,ective retreat an) inner i)enti(ication o( (aith with representation. This recognition o( the content an) the (orm an) the liberation o( these (orms completes itsel( when philosophy in the en) grasps its own concept+ that is+ loo"s bac" on its "nowle)ge. $ %2% This concept o( philosophy is the sel(7thin"ing i)ea+ tr*th aware o( itsel( -$ !4'.+ or logic with the signi(icance that it is generality preserve) in concrete content. In this way science ret*rns to its beginning+ with logic as the res*lt. The pres*pposition o( its concept+ or the imme)iacy o( its beginning an) the aspect o( its appearance at that moment+ are s*spen)e). $ %2& This initial appearance is (orme) by the syllogism+ which has logic basically as its starting point+ with nat*re (or the mi))le term an) is lin"e) *ltimately to spirit. Logic becomes nat*re+ an) nat*re becomes spirit. ;at*re+ which stan)s between the spirit an) its essence+ )ivi)es itsel( tho*gh not to the extremes o( (inite abstraction. 9or the syllogism is in the i)ea an) nat*re is essentially )etermine) as a transition point an) negative moment. B*t the me)iation o( the concept has the external (orm o( transition+ an) science ta"es the (orm o( being. $ %21 In the secon) syllogism this appearance is s*spen)e)+ (or the spirit is the me)iating (actor. This is a syllogism which is alrea)y the stan)point o( the spirit itsel( pres*pposes

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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html nat*re an) ,oins it with logic. It is the syllogism o( re(lection on the i)ea6 science appears as s*b,ective cognition. $ %22 These appearances are s*spen)e) in the i)ea o( philosophy+ which has sel(7"nowing reason+ the absol*tely general+ (or its mi))le term a mi))le which )ivi)es itsel( into spirit an) nat*re+ with the (ormer as its pres*pposition+ an) the latter as its general extreme. Th*s imme)iate nat*re is only a posite) entity+ as spirit is in itsel( not a pres*pposition+ b*t rather totality ret*rning into itsel(. In this way the mi))le term+ the sel(7"nowing concept+ has as its reality primarily concept*al moments an) exists in its )eterminacy as general "nowle)ge+ persisting imme)iately by itsel(.

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