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and tearing everything； before which all those moments are broken up that are meant to signify
something real and to stand for actual members of the whole； and which at the same time plays
with itself this game of self…dissolution。 This judging and talking is； therefore； the real truth； which
cannot be got over； while it overpowers everything it is that which in this real world is alone truly
of importance。 Each part of this world comes to find there its spirit expressed； or gets to be
spoken of with esprit and finds said of it what it is。
The honest（8） soul takes each moment as a permanent and essential fact； and is the uncultivated
thoughtless condition that does not think and does not know that it is likewise doing the very
inverse。 The distraught and disintegrated soul is； however； aware of inversion； it is； in fact； a
consciousness of absolute inversion： the conceptual principle predominates there； brings together
into a single unity the thoughts that lie far apart in the case of the honest soul； and the language
conveying its meaning is； therefore； full of esprit and wit （geistreich）。
The content uttered by spirit and uttered about itself is； then； the inversion and perversion of all
conceptions and realities； a universal deception of itself and of others。 The shamelessness
manifested in stating this deceit is just on that account the greatest truth。 This style of speech is the
madness of the musician 〃who piled and mixed up together some thirty airs； Italian； French； tragic；
comic； of all sorts and kinds； now； with a deep bass； he descended to the depths of hell； then；
contracting his throat to a high； piping falsetto； he rent the vault of the skies； raving and soothed；
haughtily imperious and mockingly jeering by turns〃。（9） The placid soul（10） that in simple honesty of
heart takes the melody of the good and true to consist in harmony of sound and uniformity of
tones； i。e。 in a single note； regards this style of expression as a 〃fantastic mixture of wisdom and
folly； a melée of as much skill as low cunning； composed of ideas as likely to be right as wrong；
with as complete a perversion of sentiment； with as much consummate shamefulness in it； as
absolute frankness； candour； and truth。 It will not be able； to refrain from breaking out into all
these tones； and running up and down the whole gamut of feeling； from the depths of contempt
and repudiation to the highest pitch of admiration and stirring emotion。 A vein of the ridiculous will
be diffused through the latter； which takes away from their nature〃； the former will find in their very
candour a strain of atoning reconcilement； will find in their shuddering depths the all…powerful
strain which gives to itself spirit。
If we consider； by way of contrast to the mode of utterance indulged in by this self…transparent
distracted type of mind； the language adopted by that simple； placid consciousness of the good
and the true； we find that it can only speak in monosyllables when face to face with the frank and
self…conscious eloquence of the mind developed under the influence of culture； for it can say
nothing to the latter that the latter does not know and say。 If it gets beyond speaking in
monosyllables； then it says the same thing that the cultivated mind expresses； but in doing so
commits； in addition； the folly of imagining that it is saying something new； something different。 Its
very syllables； 〃disgraceful〃； 〃base〃； are this folly already； for the other says。 them of itself。 This
latter type of spirit perverts in its mode of utterance everything that sounds monotonous； because
this self…sameness is merely an abstraction； but in its actual reality is intrinsically and inherently
perversion。 On the other hand； again； the unsophisticated mind takes under its protection the good
and the noble （i。e。 what retains its identity of meaning in being objectively expressed）； and defends
it in the only way here possible…that is to say； the good does not lose its value because it may be
linked with what is bad or mingled with it； for to be thus associated with badness is its condition
and necessity； and the wisdom of nature lies in this fact。 Yet this unsophisticated mind； while it
intended to contradict； has merely； in doing so； gathered into a trifling form the meaning of what
spirit said； and put it in a manner which； by turning the opposite of noble and good into the
necessary condition of noble and good； thoughtlessly supposes itself to convey something else than
that the so…called noble and good is by its very nature the reverse of itself； or that what is bad is；
conversely； something excellent。
If the na？ve consciousness makes up for this barren； soulless idea by the concrete reality of what
is excellent； by adducing an example of what is excellent； whether in the form of a fictitious case or
a true story； and thus shows it to be not an empty name； but an actual fact； then it has against it the
universal reality of the perverted action of the entire real world； where that example constitutes
merely something quite isolated and particular； merely an espece； a sort of thing。 And to represent
the existence of the good and the noble as an isolated particular anecdote； whether fictitious or
true； is the bitterest thing that can be said about it。
Finally； should the na？ve mind require this entire sphere of perversion to be dissolved and broken
up； it cannot ask the individual to withdraw out of it； for even Diogenes in his tub ＇with his
pretence of withdrawal＇ is under the sway of that perversion； and to ask this of the particular
individual is to ask him to do precisely what is taken to be bad； viz。 to care for himself as
individual。 But if the demand to withdraw is directed at the universal individual； it cannot mean that
reason must again give up the culture and development of spiritual conscious life which it has
reached； that reason should let the extensive riches of its moments sink back into the na？veté of
natural emotion； and revert and approximate to the wild condition of the animal consciousness；
which is also called the natural state of innocence。 On the contrary； the demand for this dissolution
can only be addressed to the spirit of culture itself； and can only mean that it must qua spirit return
out of its confusion into itself； and win for itself a still higher level of conscious life。
In point of fact； however； spirit has already accomplished this result。 To be conscious of its own
distraught and torn condition and to express itself accordingly； — this is to pour scornful laughter
on existence； on the confusion pervading the whole and on itself as well： it is at the same time this
whole confusion dying away and yet apprehending itself to be doing so。 This self…apprehending
vanity of all reality and of every definite principle reflects the real world into itself in a twofold form：
in the particular self of consciousness qua particular； and in the pure universality of consciousness；
in thought。 According to the first aspect； mind thus come to itself has directed its gaze into the
world of actual reality； and still has that reality as its own purpose and its immediate content： from
the other side； its gaze is in part turned solely on itself and against that world of reality； in part
turned away from it towards heaven； and its object is the region beyond the world。
（c） The Vanity of Culture
In respect of that return into self the vanity of all things is its own peculiar vanity； it is itself vain。 It is
self existing for its own sake； a self that knows not only how to sum up and chatter about
everything； but cleverly to state the contradiction that lies in the heart of the solid elements of
reality； and in the fixed determinations which judgment sets up； and this contradiction is their real
truth。 Looked at formally it knows everything to be estranged from itself； self…existence is cut off
from essential being （Ansich）； what is intended and the purpose are separated from real truth； and
from both again existence for another； what is ostensibly put forward is cut off from the proper
meaning； the real fact； the true intention。
It thus knows exactly how to put each moment in antithesis to every other； knows in short how to
express correctly the perversion that dominates all of them： it knows better than each what each is；
no matter how it is constituted。 Since it apprehends what is substantial from the side of that
disunion and contradiction of elements combined within its nature； but not from the side of this
union itself； it understands very well how to pass judgment on this substantial reality； but has lost
the capacity of truly grasping it。
This vanity needs at the same time the vanity of all things； in order to get from them consciousness
of itself it therefore itself creates this vanity； and is the soul that supports it。 State…power and
wealth are the supreme purposes of its strenuous exertion； it is aware that through renunciation and
sacrifice it is moulded into universal shape； that it attains universality； and in possessing universality
finds general recognition and acceptance： state…power and wealth are the real and actually
ackno