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simple being； is what empties and abandons itself； gives itself unto death； and so reconciles
Absolute Being with its own self。 For in this process it manifests itself as spirit： the abstract Being is
estranged from itself； it has natural existence and the reality of an actual self。 This its otherness； or
its being sensuously present； is taken back again by the second process of becoming 〃other〃； and
is affirmed as superseded； as universal。 Thereby the Divine Being has come to itself in the sphere
of the sensuous present； the immediate existence of actual reality has ceased to be something alien
or external to the Divine； by being sublated； universal： this death （of immediacy） is therefore its
rising anew as spirit。 When the self…conscious Being cancels and transcends its immediate present；
it is as universal self…consciousness。 This notion of the transcended individual self which is
Absolute Being； immediately expresses therefore the establishment of a communion which； while
hitherto having its abode in the sphere of pictorial thought； now returns into itself as the Self： and
Spirit thus passes from the second element constituting it； — figurative thought — and goes over to
the third…self…consciousness as such。
If we further consider the kind of procedure that pictorial thinking adopts as it goes along； we find
in the first place the expression that the Divine Being 〃takes on〃 human nature。 Here it is eo ipso
asserted that implicitly and inherently the two are not separate： just as in the statement； that the
Divine Being from the beginning empties Itself of Itself； that its objective existence becomes
concentrated in Itself and becomes evil； it is not asserted but implied that per se this evil existence
is not something alien to the Divine nature。 Absolute Being would be merely an empty name if in
very truth there were any other being external to it； if there were a 〃fall〃' from it。 The aspect of
self…concentration really constitutes the essential moment of the self of Spirit。
That this self…centredness； whence primarily comes its reality； belongs to the Divine Being — while
this is for us a notion； and so as far as it is a notion； — appears to pictorial thinking as an
inconceivable happening。 The inherent and essential nature assumes for figurative thought the form
of an indifferent objective fact。 The thought； however； that those apparently mutually repugnant
moments； absolute Being and self…existent Self； are not inseparable； comes also before this
figurative way of thinking （since it does possess the real content）； but that thought appears
afterwards； in the form that the Divine Being empties Itself of Itself and is made flesh。 This
figurative idea； which in this manner is still immediate and hence not spiritual； i。e。 it knows the
human form assumed by the Divine as merely a particular form； not yet as a universal form —
becomes spiritual for this consciousness in the process whereby God； who has assumed shape
and form； surrenders again His immediate existence； and returns to His essential Being。 The
essential Being is then Spirit only when it is reflected into itself。
The reconciliation of the Divine Being with its other as a whole； and； specifically； with the thought
of this other…evil — is thus presented here； in a figurative way。 If this reconciliation is expressed
conceptually； by saying it consists in the fact that evil is inherently the same as what goodness is；
or again that the Divine Being is the same as nature in its entire extent； just as nature separated
from God is simply nothingness； — then this must be looked at as an unspiritual mode of
expression which is bound to give rise to misunderstandings。 When evil is the same as goodness；
then evil is just not evil nor goodness good； on the contrary； both are really done away with — evil
in general； self…centred self…existence； and goodness； self…less simplicity。 Since in this way they are
both expressed in terms of their notion； the unity of the two is at once apparent； for self…centred
self…existence is simple knowledge； and what is self…less simplicity is similarly pure self…existence
centred within itself。 Hence； if it must be said that good and evil in this their conception； i。e。 so far
as they are not good and evil； are the same； just as certainly it must be said that they are not the
same； but absolutely different； for simple self…existence； or again pure knowledge； are equally pure
negativity or per se absolute distinction。 It is only these two propositions that make the whole
complete； and when the first is asserted and asseverated； it must be met and opposed by insisting
on the other with immovable obstinacy。 Since both are equally right； they are both equally wrong；
and their wrong consists in taking such abstract forms as 〃the same〃 and 〃not the same〃； 〃identity〃
and 〃non…identity〃； to be something true； fixed； real； and in resting on them。 Neither the one nor the
other has truth； their truth is just their movement； the process in which simple sameness is
abstraction and thus absolute distinction； while this again； being distinction per se； is distinguished
from itself and so is self…identity。 Precisely this is what we have in sameness of the Divine Being
and Nature in general and human nature in particular： the former is Nature so far as it is not
essential Being； Nature is Divine in its essential Being。 But it is in Spirit that we find both abstract
aspects affirmed as they truly are； viz。 as cancelled and preserved at once： and this way of
affirming them cannot be expressed by the judgment； by the soulless word 〃is〃 ； the copula of the
judgment。 In the same way Nature is nothing outside its essential Being ＇God＇； but this nothing
itself is all the same； it is absolute abstraction； therefore pure thought or self…centredness； and with
its moment of opposition to spiritual unity it is the principle of Evil。 The dffficulty people find in
these conceptions is due solely to sticking to the term 〃is〃 and forgetting the character of thought；
where the moments as much are as they are not； — are only the process which is Spirit。 It is this
spiritual unity； — unity where the distinctions are merely in the form of moments； or as transcended
— which became known to pictorial thinking in that atoning reconciliation spoken of above。 And
since this unity is the universality of self…consciousness； self…consciousness has ceased to be
figurative or pictorial in its thinking； the Process has turned back into it。
Spirit thus takes up its position in the third element； in universal self…consciousness： Spirit is its own
community。 The movement of this community being that of self…consciousness； which distinguishes
itself from its figurative idea； consists in explicitly bringing out what has implicitly become
established。 The dead Divine Man； or Human God； is implicitly universal self…consciousness； he
has to become explicitly so for this self…consciousness。 Or； since this self…consciousness
constitutes one side of the opposition involved in figurative thought； viz。 the side of evil； which
takes natural existence and individual self…existence to be the essential reality — this aspect； which
is pictured as independent； and not yet as a moment； has； on account of its independence； to raise
itself in and for itself to the level of spirit； it has to reveal the process of Spirit in its self。
This particular self…consciousness is Spirit in natural form； natural spirit： self has to withdraw from
this natural existence and enter into itself； become self…centred； that would mean； it has to become
evil。 But this aspect is already per se evil： entering into itself consists therefore； in persuading itself
that natural existence is what is evil。 By picture…thinking the world is supposed actually to become
evil and be evil as an actual fact； and the atoning reconcilement of the Absolute Being is viewed as
an actual existent phenomenon。 By self…consciousness as such； however； this pictured truth； as
regards its form； is considered to be merely a moment that is already superseded and transcended；
for the self is the negative； and hence knowledge — a knowledge which is a pure act of
consciousness within itself。 This moment of the negative must in like manner find expression in the
content。 Since； that is to say； the essential Being is inherently and from the start reconcited with
itself and is a spiritual unity； in which what are parts for figurative thought are sublated； are
moments； what we find is that each part of figurative thought receives here the opposite
significance to that which it had before。 By this means each meaning finds its completion in the
other； and the content is then and thereby a spiritual content。 Since the specific determinateness of
each is just as much its opposite； unity in otherness — spiritual reality — is achieved： just as
formerly we saw the opposite meanings combined objectively （für uns）； or in themselves； and
even the abstract forms of 〃the same〃 and 〃not…the…same〃； 〃identity〃 and 〃non…identity〃 cancelled
one another and were transcended。
If； then； from the point of view of figurative thought； the becoming self…centred on the part of the
natural