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which is to be essential reality； corresponds to the way it is present in that certainty。 We have for
that purpose not to reflect about it and ponder what it might be in truth； but to deal with it merely
as sense…certainty contains it。
Sense…certainty itself has thus to be asked： What is the This ？ If we take it in the two…fold form of
its existence； as the Now and as the Here； the dialectic it has in it will take a form as intelligible as
the This itself。 To the question； What is the Now？ we reply； for example； the Now is night…time。
To test the truth of this certainty of sense； a simple experiment is all we need： write that truth
down。 A truth cannot lose anything by being written down； and just as little by our preserving and
keeping it。 If we look again at the truth we have written down； look at it now； at this noon…time；
we shall have to say it has turned stale and become out of date。
The Now that is night is kept fixed； i。e。 it is treated as what it is given out to be； as something
which is； but it proves to be rather a something which is not。 The Now itself no doubt maintains
itself； but as what is not night； similarly in its relation to the day which the Now is at present； it
maintains itself as something that is also not day； or as altogether something negative。 This self
…maintaining Now is therefore not something immediate but something mediated； for； qua
something that remains and preserves itself； it is determined through and by means of the fact that
something else； namely day and night； is not。 Thereby it is just as much as ever it was before；
Now； and in being this simple fact； it is indifferent to what is still associated with it； just as little as
night or day is its being； it is just as truly also day and night； it is not in the least affected by this
otherness through which it is what it is。 A simple entity of this sort； which is by and through
negation； which is neither this nor that； which is a not…this； and with equal indifference this as well
as that — a thing of this kind we call a Universal。 The Universal is therefore in point of fact the truth
of sense…certaintv； the true content of sense…experience。
It is as a universal； too； that we（3） give utterance to sensuous fact。 What we say is： 〃This〃； i。e。 the
universal this； or we say： 〃it is〃； i。e。 being in general。 Of course we do not present before our mind
in saying； so the universal this； or being in general； but we utter what is universal； in other words；
we do not actually and absolutely say what in this sense…certainty we really mean。 Language；
however； as we see； is the more truthful； in it we ourselves refute directly and at once our own
〃meaning〃； and since universality is the real truth of sense…certainty； and language merely expresses
this truth； it is not possible at all for us even to express in words any sensuous existence which we
〃mean〃。
The same will be the case when we take the Here； the other form of the This。 The Here is e。g。 the
tree。
I turn about and this truth has disappeared and has changed round into its opposite： the Here； is
not a tree； but a house。 The Here itself does not disappear； it is and remains in the disappearance
of the house； tree； and so on； and is indifferently house； tree。 The This is shown thus again to be
mediated simplicity； in other words； to be universality。
Pure being； then； remains as the essential element for this sense…certainty； since sense…certainty in
its very nature proves the universal to be the truth of its object。 But that pure being is not in the
form of something immediate； but of something in which the process of negation and mediation is
essential。 Consequently it is not what we intend or 〃mean〃 by being； but being with the
characteristic that it is an abstraction； the purely universal； and our intended 〃meaning〃； which
takes the truth of sense…certainty to be not something universal； is alone left standing in contrast to
this empty。 indifferent Now and Here。
If we compare the relation in which knowledge and the object first stood with the relation they
have come to assume in this result； it is found to be just the reverse of what first appeared。 The
object； which professed to be the essential reality； is now the non…essential element of
sense…certainty； for the universal； which the object has come to be； is no longer such as the object
essentially was to be for sense…certainty。 The certainty is now found to lie in the opposite element；
namely in knowledge； which formerly was the non…essential factor。 Its truth lies in the object as my
（meinem） object； or lies in the 〃meaning〃 （Meinen）； in what I 〃mean〃； it is； because I know it。
Sense…certainty is thus indeed banished from the object； but it is not yet thereby done away with； it
is merely forced back into the I。 We have still to see what experience reveals regarding its reality
in this sense。
The force of its truth thus lies now in the I； in the immediate fact of my seeing； hearing； and so on；
the disappearance of the particular Now and Here that we 〃mean〃 is prevented by the fact that I
keep hold on them。 The Now is daytime； because I see it； the Here is a tree for a similar reason。
Sense…certainty； however； goes through； in this connection； the same dialectic process as in the
former case。 I； this I； see the tree； and assert the tree to be the Here； another I； however； sees
the house and maintains the Here is not a tree but a house。 Both truths have the same authenticity
— the immediacy of seeing and the certainty and assurance both have as to their specific way of
knowing； but the one certainty disappears in the other。
In all this； what does not disappear is the I qua universal； whose seeing is neither the seeing of this
tree nor of this house； but just seeing simpliciter； which is mediated through the negation of this
house； etc。； and； in being so； is all the same simple and indifferent to what is associated with it； the
house； the tree； and so on。 I is merely universal； like Now； Here； or This in general。 No doubt I
〃mean〃 an individual I； but just something as little as I am able to say what I 〃mean〃 by Now；
Here； so it is impossible in the case of the I too。 By saying 〃this Here〃； 〃this Now〃； 〃an individual
thing〃； I say all Thises； Heres； Nows； or Individuals。 In the same way when I say 〃I〃； 〃this
individual I〃； I say quite generally 〃all I's〃； every one is 〃I〃； this individual I。 When philosophy
is。requested； by way of putting it to a crucial test — a test which it could not possibly sustain — to
〃deduce〃； to 〃construe〃； 〃to find a priori〃； or however it is put； a so…called this thing； or this
particular man；（4） it is reasonable that the person making this demand should say what 〃this
thing〃； or what 〃this I〃； he means： but to say this is quite impossible。
Sense…certainty discovers by experience； therefore； that its essential nature lies neither in the
object nor in the I； and that the immediacy peculiar to it is neither an immediacy of the one nor of
the other。 For； in the case of both； what I 〃mean〃 is rather something non…essential； and the object
and the I are universals； in which that Now and Here and I； which I 〃mean〃； do not hold out； do
not exist。 We arrive in this way at the result； that we have to put the whole； of sense…certainty as
its essential reality； and no longer merely one of its moments； as happened in both cases； where
first the object as against the I； and then the I； was to be its true reality。 Thus it is only the whole
sensecertainty itself which persists therein as immediacy； and in consequence excludes from itself
all the opposition which in the foregoing had a place there。
This pure immediacy； then； has nothing more to do with the fact of otherness； with Here in the
form of a tree passing into a Here that is not a tree； with Now in the sense of day…time changing
into a Now that is night…time； or with there being an other I to which something else is object。 Its
truth stands fast as a self…identical relation making no distinction of essential and non…essential；
between I and object； and into which； therefore； in general； no distinction can find its way。 I； this
I； assert； then； the Here as tree； and do not turn round so that for me Here might become not a
tree； and I take no notice of the fact that another I finds the Here as not…tree； or that I myself at
some other time take the Here as not…tree； the Now as not…day。 I am directly conscious； I intuit
and nothing more； I am pure intuition； I am…seeing； looking。 For myself I stand by the fact； the
Now is day…time； or； again； by the fact the Here is tree； and； again； do not compare Here and
Now themselves with one another； I take my stand on one immediate relation： the Now is day。
2。 The Subject of Sense Certainty
Since； then； this certainty wholly refuses to come out if we direct its attention to a Now that is night
or an I to whom it is night； we will go to it and let ourselves point out the Now that is asserted。 We
must let ourselves point it out for the truth of this immediate relation is the truth of this ego which
restricts itself to a Now or a Here。 Were we to examine this truth afterwards； or stand at a
distance from