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147

On the other hand, however, they are not something alien to the subject; rather, the spirit bears witness to them as to its own essence, in which it has its feeling of self and lives in them as in an element not distinguished from itself — a relation that is immediately still more identical than even faith and trust.

Faith and trust belong to a beginning reflection and presuppose a representation and a distinction, just as, for example, it would be different to believe in the pagan religion and to be a pagan. That relation — or rather that relationless identity in which the ethical is the actual living reality of self-consciousness — can indeed pass over into a relation of faith and conviction, and into one mediated by further reflection, into an insight through grounds, which can also start from some particular purposes, interests, and considerations, from fear or hope, or from historical presuppositions. But the adequate cognition of it belongs to the thinking concept.

DE

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One response to “147”

  1. Hegel (Notes) Avatar
    Hegel (Notes)

    Freedom – in laws of reason – against duties – family right of the subject
    So they are – so they live
    The Greeks had no conscience – against custom –
    Hydarnes urged the Lacedaemonian envoys to remain with him, to be friends of his king, and to be as great and fortunate as he was. [They replied:] “Your advice is good and in keeping with your experience. Had you tasted the happiness that we enjoy, you would advise us to give up possessions and blood for it.” Before Xerxes, even more plainly: “How could we live here, abandoning our country, our laws, and such men, for whom, to die, we have undertaken so long a journey?” – from Herodotus VII, c. 135 f. 77)
    They can give no account, no conscience, no conviction – not through reasons – choice, approval – posited as identical with me – To conviction belongs, [having] first made myself subjectively – empty – indeterminate – [having] set the content over against me as something other – complete mediation – not immediate feeling and being – (although these underlie it and constitute precisely the reasons to which I trace the matter back) – nor feeling either – but being, so am I – insight, I am conscious of this mediation, this connection.
    Everyone has this experience, life within himself –
    He can set himself against this – but cannot get outside himself – jump out of his skin – Goethe:

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