796 - 2

[R Srivatsan]

796 - 2.  Thus there are two beings or better, spiritual formations at this juncture -- The whole, or the community or the religious consciousness, and the individual, or the acting post-beautiful soul; each of which renounces its certainties about the other.  Hegel then points out that this renunciation of certainty is nothing other than the negativity that constituted the  beginning - the movement of thought or being-for-itself (I am not what I am perceived to be).  It shows in two dimensions:  (a) represented in Revealed Religion in the diremption of Christ from God; and (b) in the way in which the beautiful soul stood apart from the universal ethics of the community and became a being-for-itself.  Now, on the final threshold of absolute knowing however, this renunciation which is a conscious/self-conscious renunciation fully aware of its negativity, and the in-itself (of God and community) self-sublate and become for themselves - they think their way through the opposition.

There are two sides to the opposition of disparities:  One, between being-within/for-itself and its singularity versus the universality (Beautiful/conscientious soul and community; Jesus and God).  Two between abstract universality and the Self (of the community/god and the individual/Jesus).  The former, i.e., the individual self dies away to its individuality, moves beyond the bounds of its convictions and biases, and confesses its singularity and wrong doing.  The latter moves beyond the bounds of its harsh abstract ethics and softens itself vis-à-vis the individual actor.  The individual thus becomes whole by acknowledging the abstract universal, and the community/whole embraces within its infinitude as proper to it, the specificity of the individual's action.  

quote

Through this movement of action, spirit—which is only spirit in being there, in elevating its Being-there into thought and thereby into absolute opposition, and in returning from this opposition through and in this opposition itself,—spirit has emerged as pure universality of knowing, which is self-consciousness,—as self-consciousness that is the simple unity of knowing.
end quote

(Inwood p 316)

In other words, the truth or the absolute, which is Spirit, is only spirit in being there in acting in actuality, elevates this action into thought as opposition to the norm, and in the subsequent return of this independent thought to the norm.  Thus self-consciousness is the simple Spirit that knows.

Phew!

Srivats

PS: I'd venture to say that this rendering of 796 is pretty close to accurate.

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R Srivatsan
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There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning – devotion to individuals, to groups or to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work … in old age we should wish still to have passions strong enough to prevent us turning in on ourselves. One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, compassion. - Simone de Beauvoir 

[R Srivatsan]

For those who are interested, this link is to a podcast on paragraph 796 by George Sadler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHBDJt7MtBw

Srivats